Liberty and No Excise: The Whiskey Rebellion    NEW!

This was the rallying cry for the Whiskey Rebellion of 1791-1794, the first test of the power of the federal government under the new U.S. Constitution, when the unpopular excise tax levied against frontier farmers incited them to violent protest. This PowerPoint presentation provides an overview of the insurrection and establishes historical context.  

The purpose of this presentation is to provide, through integrated evidence from primary and secondary sources, context for the 1794 Whiskey Rebellion so that participants may analyze its causes and effects, evaluate the significance of the event to the early history of the United States, and draw parallels to subsequent events.

Denise Cummins was born and raised in Washington, Pennsylvania, a few blocks from the Old Stone House that is now the Bradford House Museum.  She began volunteering at the Bradford House following her retirement from teaching, where she serves on the Board of Directors and as an educator.  A lifelong learner, she enjoys finding the story behind the history and sharing that story with others, and will be delivering this presentation remotely from the Bradford House campus.