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Whiskey was a cash crop to the western settlers. They could not ship their grain down the Mississippi River until it was opened to American trade in 1795. The cost of transporting the grain east over the mountains was too expensive. Converted into liquor, a horse could carry enough of the liquid to make the trip profitable. When Hamilton convinced Washington and Congress to pass a tax on whiskey, the profit to the western farmers dried up. Like Shays's Rebellion before, the western farmers rebelled against the tax by rioting in some of the river towns and roughing up the tax collectors. Washington, who had not supported the ideas behind Shays' Rebellion, saw an opportunity to show the power of the new federal government over the weakness of the Articles. Along with Hamilton, he led 15,000 troops to surpress the rebellion. Washington left the area when the farmers dispersed, but Hamilton rounded up several who were tried for treason and sentenced to death. Washington pardoned them, calling them "mental defectives." The rebellion was not much as far as military "battles" go, but the importance of the Whiskey Rebellion was political. The government asserted the power over the states to enforce Federal Laws by using troops, if necessary, that came from other states. Of course, the western farmers never supported the Federalists when they formed the Federalist Party.

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What rebellion broke out in 1794 in pennsylvaina?

The Whiskey Rebellion. Americans were very angry about a tax on American made Whiskey.


Was a result of the political debates over the whiskey rebellion?

The emergence of a two-party political system.


Did James Madison have anything to do with whiskey rebellion?

James Madison did not play a direct role in the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794, but he was affected by its political implications. As a member of the early American government and a key architect of the Constitution, Madison was concerned about the federal response to the rebellion, which involved the use of military force against citizens. He believed that such actions could undermine the principles of democracy and civil rights. The rebellion highlighted the tensions between federal authority and states' rights, issues that Madison would continue to navigate throughout his political career.


Caused rebellion in Pennsylvania?

The federal whiskey tax produced the whiskey rebellion.


What was unfair about the whiskey rebellion?

What was unfair about the whiskey rebellion was that the western farmers from Pennsylvania were taxed on whiskey but the other farmers were not!


What were the rebels called during the Whiskey Rebellion?

The rebels during the Whiskey Rebellion were commonly referred to as "Whiskey Rebels." They were farmers and distillers in Western Pennsylvania who protested against the federal excise tax on whiskey imposed in 1791. Their opposition was rooted in the belief that the tax disproportionately affected small producers and rural communities. The rebellion ultimately highlighted tensions between federal authority and local interests.


How did Washington react to the Whiskey rebellion?

George Washington did react to the whiskey rebellion by sending many federal soldiers who crushed the rebellion.


What came first XYZ affair or whiskey Rebellion?

Whiskey Rebellion - 1791-1794 Jay's Treaty - November 1794


Why the whiskey rebellion occurred?

The whiskey rebellion happened because George Washington had a national debt and taxed people on the whiskey to pay the debt.


Significance of shays rebellion and whiskey rebellion?

Definition of shays rebellion?


What rebellion was led by the farmers in Massachusetts?

Whiskey rebellion


Location of the whiskey rebellion?

The Whiskey Rebellion began in the western part of Pennsylvania in 1794.It ended when President Washington led 13,000 men in a Federal militia to quell the uprising, in October 1794.