The Whiskey Rebellion was a violent protest by farmers and distillers in western Pennsylvania in 1794. They were angry about a federal tax on whiskey that was imposed by Alexander Hamilton, the Treasury Secretary, to pay off the national debt from the Revolutionary War. The tax favored large producers over small ones, and many farmers relied on whiskey as a source of income and currency.
The Whiskey Rebellion flag
features a blue field with Nine/Thirteeen stars arranged in an arch above a
coiled snake. Underneath the snake is the Latin phrase “Don’t Tread On Me”.
There are may variations of the flag.
The rebels refused to pay the
tax, attacked and intimidated tax collectors, and even threatened to secede
from the union. The mob’s leader was James McFarlane.
James McFarlane was killed during
the Whiskey Rebellion when a mob attacked Bower Hill, On July 17, 1794. Bower
Hill was the home of tax collector John Neville. McFarlane was one of the
leaders of the mob and was killed during a gunfight with federal troops who had
been sent to put down the rebellion.
President George Washington then decided
to send a large militia force of 12,000 men to suppress the rebellion and
assert the power of the federal government. The rebels dispersed before any
major battle took place, but some were arrested and tried for treason.
After the Whiskey Rebellion, John
Neville continued to live at his home, Bower Hill. He died there in 1803.
The whiskey tax that inspired the
rebellion remained in effect until 1802. Under the leadership of President
Thomas Jefferson and the Republican Party the tax was repealed after continuing
to be almost impossible to collect.
The Whiskey Rebellion is
commemorated every year by holding The Whiskey Rebellion Festival in Washington
County, Pennsylvania. It celebrates the region’s heritage and history. The
festival features live music, food vendors, and historical re-enactments.
