The Whiskey Rebellion
In 1794, the young United States faced one of its first major tests of authority—not from a foreign enemy, but from its own citizens. On the western frontier of Pennsylvania, small farmers and distillers erupted in protest against a federal excise tax on whiskey, seeing it as an unfair burden that favored wealthy eastern elites. In this episode of History Shorts, we explore how tensions escalated into open defiance, and how George Washington made the unprecedented decision to personally lead federal troops to suppress the rebellion. Alongside Alexander Hamilton, Washington aimed to prove that…
The skinny
The skinny isn't ready yet — notes appear once the transcript is processed.