The Whiskey Rebellion of 1791-1794

The Whiskey Rebellion of 1794 was a major uprising of farmers and distillers in protest of a whiskey tax enacted by the federal government. It was centered in the area of western Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh and the Monongahela Valley. In the early 18th century the area was sparsely settled mostly by farmers and veterans of the Revolutionary War and for all practical purposes considered the last substantial bastion of civilization on the way to the mostly unexplored “Wild West”. For reference it should be remembered that the Lewis and Clark expedition was not until 1804.

For the farmers, the principal crop in the area was rye, which was distilled into whiskey for easy transport to the East. It dawned on me and noted Monongahela historian Walter Seal we had a unique insight into the Whiskey Rebellion since most of the historical markers in both the South Hills of Pittsburgh where I live deal with the Rebellion, and Seal had keen insights and artifacts of the Whiskey Rebellion centered on the area of major rebel activity near Monongahela.

One of the early pioneers