Whiskey+Excise+Tax+Alexander+Hamilton+P1

An excise tax is a sales tax on a specific item. The Whiskey Excise Tax was a tax on the distillers of whiskey in the backcountry, that was seven cents a gallon. This excess money helped pay for the national debt from the Revolutionary War. In 1791 Hamilton persuaded the Congress to pass taxes on alcohol. Hamiltons justification for these taxes was "more as a measure of social discipline than as a source of revenue," and "wanted the tax imposed to advance and secure the power of the new federal government." The tax was also passed because the debt after the Reovltuoin War was crippling. This tax was difficult to inforce though, and caused the Whiskey Rebellion in 1794. The Whiskey Rebellion was a rebellion of the whiskey distillers, led by Tom the Tinker, against the Whiskey Excise Tax. Due to the Federalist's passion for the necessity of this tax Alexander Hamilton, George Washington and General Henry Lee marched 12, 950 militiamen to Pittsburgh to crush the rebellion. There was never anything really found there, but the fact that the Federalists went to such a great length to crush this rebellion shows their support for this tax. Also this shows that even Goerge Washington, the man that has everyone's respect and always has whats best for our country in his mind, supported this tax enough to send this many militiamen over.

1. How do you plan on fixing this crippling national debt without the aid of an excise tax? 2. You resigned from your position as Secretary of State due to the Whiskey Rebellion what did this accomplish, by removing your anti-federalist voice? 3.