The "Whiskey Rebellion," as Alexander Hamilton called it, was the first major test of the new government's power to control its territory.  The Whiskey Tax of 1791 taxed smaller producers of whiskey, and required all stills to be registered.  The response of farmers in the west--many of them veterans of the Revolution--was at times violent, and President Washington responded by leading an army of 13,000 men--mocked at the "watermelon army"-- to subdue the rebellion.  We talk about this story with Brady Crytzer, author of The Whiskey Rebellion; A Distilled History of an American Crisis.Tell us what you think! Send us a text message!

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