Interpret the Evidence and Put It in Context

1. What are the chief complaints of the whiskey rebels and their supporters (Documents 7.1 and 7.2)? Are they opposed only to the economic burden of a tax? Which of their arguments do you find the most convincing?

2. What argument does Washington make in favor of government action against the rebels (Document 7.3)? Do you find it convincing?

3. According to Hamilton’s letter (Document 7.4), who was responsible for carrying out the violence of the Whiskey Rebellion? How does Hamilton characterize the attackers and the victims? How can we evaluate his claims?

4. On what basis does James Madison criticize President Washington’s actions in response to the rebellion? Why does he believe that the Federalists’ response to the rebellion is of greater concern than the rebellion itself (Document 7.5)?

5. Washington justified his use of force to put down the revolt by pointing to the violence employed by the rebels. What other strategies did the rebels use to protest the tax? How else might the federal government have responded to armed rebellion among its citizens?

1. What role did the Whiskey Rebellion play in the formation of a new political party?

2. What Democratic-Republican ideas are represented in the documents written by the whiskey rebels and their supporters, including James Madison?