Washington’s Issues:Washington’s Issues:Foreign & DomesticForeign & Domestic

Whiskey Tax Receipt, 1794

The TaxThe Tax• Hamilton tries to

increase revenue for the U.S. Government

• Tax on whiskey Tax on whiskey passed by Congress in 1791in 1791

Alcohol in Western Alcohol in Western SocietySociety

• Made from excess corn, whiskey was very important to western economy

• Grain that had been distilled into whiskey was made a lot of profit

• Whiskey was a form Whiskey was a form of currency of currency to trade for what they needed

Whiskey Whiskey ProductionProduction

Large scale business• Paid tax annually

– 6¢ per gallon

• Passed cost on to consumer

Small scale personal• Couldn’t pay the

tax annually

• Didn’t sell it, couldn’t pass cost on to consumer

Rebellion BeginsRebellion Begins• From

Pennsylvania to Georgia western farmers refuse to pay tax

• Efforts to collect the tax were increased in 1794

• Tax collectors Tax collectors were attackedwere attacked

Rebellion LocationRebellion Location

RebellioRebellion in the n in the western western part of part of the statethe state

Washington Takes Washington Takes ActionAction

• Washington calls Washington calls up over 13,000 up over 13,000 militia troops militia troops

• Harry Lee is put in command (father of Robert E. Lee)

• Washington rides at the head of the troops

End of RebellionEnd of Rebellion• Militia breaks up Militia breaks up

rebellionrebellion

• Rebels were Rebels were arrestedarrested

• Washington offers pardons pardons in exchange for in exchange for oaths of loyaltyloyalty

Washington reviews the troops - Washington reviews the troops - Carlisle, Pennsylvania September 1794Carlisle, Pennsylvania September 1794

• Began the year of year of Washington’s inaugurationWashington’s inauguration

• Originally seen as a good thing until it became violent

• Many Americans hated the violence; attacks on religion, disregard of individual liberties

• Britain declared war to Britain declared war to take advantage of a weak take advantage of a weak French gov’tFrench gov’t

Hamilton attacked Jefferson in the press

Hamilton attacked Jefferson in the press

Jefferson secretly started his own

newspaper

Jefferson secretly started his own

newspaper

The common people, & Jefferson, acknowledged Revolutionary FranceJefferson, acknowledged Revolutionary France

The commercial classes, & Hamilton, preferred Hamilton, preferred EnglandEngland, their main source of business

The country divided into 2 groupsThe country divided into 2 groups

NEUTRALITYNEUTRALITY • France wanted US to France wanted US to help fight Britainhelp fight Britain– They were our allies in the

American Revolution

• Washington Washington encouraged neutralneutrality – Discouraged American

involvement

• Proclamation of Proclamation of NeutralityNeutrality– Prohibited Americans Prohibited Americans

from fighting overseasfrom fighting overseas– Barred warships in

American ports

• Britain ignored it & Britain ignored it & attackedattacked

American TreatiesAmerican Treaties• Washington sent John Jay,

chief justice of the Supreme Court, to negotiate a treaty

• Jay’s TreatyJay’s Treaty– British must withdraw from British must withdraw from

America, pay damages, & America, pay damages, & allow some ships to trade in the allow some ships to trade in the Caribbean Caribbean

• Many Americans wanted trade with British West Indies, which it did not open– Many Americans did not like

the treaty

• Pinckney's TreatyPinckney's Treaty– Thomas Pinckney created a Thomas Pinckney created a

treaty with Spain to resolve treaty with Spain to resolve trade on the Mississippi Rivertrade on the Mississippi River

• France was outraged & saw this as dealing with the devil

Washington’s Farewell AddressWashington’s Farewell Address• Farewell addressFarewell address

– AttackedAttacked evils of political partiesevils of political parties/division– AgainstAgainst entangling entangling ourselves in foreign affairs in foreign affairs

• InfluencedInfluenced foreign policyforeign policy for more than 100 for more than 100 yearsyears