Analyze The Consequences Of The Whiskey Rebellion

In March 1791 Congress enacted the first excise tax on a domestic product. This inland tax applied to all distilled spirits, but due to the fact whiskey was the most popular distilled drink, the tax quickly took on the name “The Whiskey Tax.” The purpose of this tax was to generate revenue for the debt incurred during the Revolution, which had amassed to over $75 million between both the national and state governments. However, despite best intentions, the tax was met with bitter disapproval. Three years later, in July 1794, the United States was faced with another landmark decision – the first assertion of federal power by military means within state boundaries. The event that prompted government intervention was an uprising of settlers known as the Whiskey Rebellion, and it left a resounding impact on the newly reformed nation. The Whiskey Rebellion established the national government’s authority to both impose taxes and …show more content…
President Washington’s decision to utilize the Militia Act of 1792 led to a quick and decisive end to the uprising in Pittsburgh. This not only limited the rebellion to a single event, but also set the precedent for the federal government’s commanding authority. The standard set previously by the central government, functioning under the Articles of Confederation, had no enforcement of taxation and no peace-time Army. Washington’s actions enabled the government to set new expectations for the future American government. Additionally, the Whiskey Rebellion impacted American jurisprudence because it resulted in the first treason trials in the United States. Two men were convicted of treason as a result of the trials using Article III Section III of the Constitution, which provides that treason is “levying war,” to include armed opposition to federal law enforcement. This Constitutional interpretation was applied in future court

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Analyze The Consequences Of The Whiskey Rebellion

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