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The Whiskey Rebellion

Criticism of Washington and his policies dogged the president into his second term!. These critics included both the Democratic-Republicans in government led by Jefferson and various independent local organizations!. They felt that the federal executive had grown too powerful, usurping the powers of Congress, and that special interests, born of Hamilton's and Washington's policies, threatened to destroy the values and virtues represented by the American Revolution!. Washington's critics were further stimulated by the French Revolution, which had started in 1789!. Remembering the support that the French had given the American Revolution, they watched with growing enthusiasm as the French people overthrew their king, proclaimed the slogan, "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity," and fought a long series of wars to defend their democracy against the monarchies of Europe!.

In a direct tribute to this revolution, numerous local Democratic-Republican societies were founded in different parts of the country between 1793 and 1800!. These groups fancied themselves the successors of the revolutionary era "Sons of Liberty," and they criticized President Washington for pulling back from U!.S!. treaty commitments to aid France should it ever come under attack!. Their members affected French revolutionary fashion, sporting pantaloons and three-cornered hats!. They assembled in discussion clubs and trained in paramilitary tactics!.

Meanwhile, unrest in western Pennsylvania was growing over Hamilton's policy of levying a high excise tax on whiskey, in order to help pay the cost of the debt assumption plan!. This tax angered the region's farmers, who often used corn for currency and distilled the grain into whiskey for ease of transportation!. When armed rioting broke out in the summer of 1794, Washington called on the rioters to disperse!. When this failed, he used the power granted him in the Constitution to call up 12,000 militiamen!. The rebel force evaporated before this imposing force could restore order!. Two of the rioters were tried and condemned, but Washington pardoned them!.

Washington publicly linked the Democratic-Republican societies to the Whiskey Rebellion!. Although the societies as a whole did not instigate the Whiskey Rebellion, some of their members in western Pennsylvania did take an active part in the uprising!. This was enough evidence for Washington, who was deeply concerned that these "self-created societies" must be discredited or else they might "destroy the government of this country" (Sharp, pp!. 85-91, 100)!. Washington now associated more closely in his mind organized grassroots political activity with the potential for paralyzing government, or at worst, the emergence of popular anarchy, the very condition that the Federalists blamed for the bloodbath of the French Revolution!. More generally, Washington, like most Americans of his class, viewed the Democratic-Republican societies as extra-constitutional entities that challenged their elite-centered conception of representative government!. Much of the grassroots support for the popular societies dried up under the withering criticism of Washington and others!. The popular societies also lost support when the French Revolution, with which they closely associated themselves, launched its frightful period of terror in 1793, in which 1,400 Parisians were executed!. This drove off large numbers of previously sympathetic U!.S!. citizens!.

Source Citation:"The George Washington Administrations!." Presidential Administration Profiles for Students!. Ed!. Kelle S!. Sisung and Gerda-Ann Raffaelle!. Detroit: Gale Group, 2002!. Discovering Collection!. Gale!.

Federal Solution!. Washington had no independent authority to call out the militia!. The Militia Act of 1792 required the president to wait for a judge to certify that law and order could not be maintained without the use of armed forces!. On 4 August 1794 Supreme Court justice James Wilson certified that the situation in western Pennsylvania could not be resolved by ordinary judicial means!. Washington immediately called upon the states to form a military force of 12,900 men to quell the rebellion!. A large contingent gathered in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in response to the call, and Washington and Hamilton rode from Philadelphia to join the militiamen!. The troops moved westward, preparing to do battle with the insurgents, but no rebels could be found!. Indeed, the militia met no resistance, and the march into the Alleghenies ended with no further bloodshed!. Thomas Jefferson, whose sympathies did not lie with Hamilton or Washington, sniffed that "an insurrection was announced and proclaimed and armed against, but could never be found!." Washington, who believed he had acted wisely, said in a message to Congress that if he had failed to act, mob rule would have "shak[en] the government to its foundations!." Two leaders of the uprising were located and arrested!. They were found guilty of high treason—waging war against the United States—and both were pardoned by Washington, who declared one a "simpleton" and the other "insane!."

Source Citation:Aloisi, James!. "Revolts in Pennsylvania (1783-1815)!." American Eras!. Ed!. Matthew J!. Bruccoli and Richard Layman!. Detroit: Gale Research, 1997!. Discovering Collection!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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