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40th out of 141 books
—
88 voters
The Whiskey Rebellion: George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and the Frontier Rebels Who Challenged America's Newfound Sovereignty
A gripping and provocative tale of violence, alcohol, and taxes, The Whiskey Rebellion pits President George Washington and Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton against angry, armed settlers across the Appalachians. Unearthing a pungent segment of early American history long ignored by historians, William Hogeland brings to startling life the rebellion that decisiv...more
Hardcover, 320 pages
Published
April 11th 2006
by Scribner
(first published 2006)
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Mar 27, 2013
Edward Waverley
marked it as to-read
Hogeland commented on a blog about the Whiskey Rebellion, and I copy/pasted his words here:
A correction regarding the 1790's whiskey tax. Hamilton's excise was earmarked for funding the war debt -- not paying it off. The distinction is crucial. Hamilton was indeed a father of big national government -- and big business, and their connections -- and therefore wanted to create a flush investing class, with close ties to federal government and the military establishment, whose investments in nation...more
A correction regarding the 1790's whiskey tax. Hamilton's excise was earmarked for funding the war debt -- not paying it off. The distinction is crucial. Hamilton was indeed a father of big national government -- and big business, and their connections -- and therefore wanted to create a flush investing class, with close ties to federal government and the military establishment, whose investments in nation...more
A narrowly comprehensive, yet questionably accurate account of the Whiskey Rebellion, which was a spat between Federal Power and local power, though, in reality, both sides were equally interested in imposing their will on the general population, and were willing to do whatever it took to do so. The caricature of Alexander Hamilton raises doubts to the accuracy of the story. As a student of both Economics and American History I was already well versed in the life, both positive and negative, of...more
The Whiskey Rebellion, which came to a head in 1794 on the frontier of Western Pennsylvania, provides a great microcosm for viewing the early American republic. It encapsulates the stories of the nation's transformation into a centralized, commercial power, along with the expansion of the nation westward, which often presented challenges to that centralized power. It shows the demise of the radical populism of the Revolution and the rise of the conservative power of the creditor class. Alexander...more
This is an interesting story of an event, now largely forgotten, from shortly after ratification of the Constitution. Rebels living out west (‘West’ meaning near the small city of Pittsburgh at this time) took up arms to protest the nation’s first direct internal tax. This being an excise tax on whiskey.
George Washington gathered an army of over 10,000 men and, with Secretary of the Treasury/Acting Secretary of War Alexander Hamilton, marched to subdue the rebellion. The rebel movement collapse...more
George Washington gathered an army of over 10,000 men and, with Secretary of the Treasury/Acting Secretary of War Alexander Hamilton, marched to subdue the rebellion. The rebel movement collapse...more
This is a detailed look at an often-overlooked episode in the early history of the American republic, the Whiskey Rebellion.
We now take for granted the success of the new United States of America after the American War for Independence, but it was far from a foregone conclusion. Under the initial Articles of Confederation, adopted in 1781 when formal ratification by all thirteen original states was completed. The Articles contained a fatal flaw: the Congress had no power to tax and could only re...more
We now take for granted the success of the new United States of America after the American War for Independence, but it was far from a foregone conclusion. Under the initial Articles of Confederation, adopted in 1781 when formal ratification by all thirteen original states was completed. The Articles contained a fatal flaw: the Congress had no power to tax and could only re...more
Resistance to the tax on whiskey and stills in western Pennsylvania began with tarring and feathering of tax collectors. The year was 1791 and defiance intensified to the point that President George Washington, by carriage, led an army of combined state militia to display the power of the U.S. Government to put down insurrection and treason. He led only part-way, though, and his controlling presence was missed once the army arrived at the scene. Though rebels had gone home, many were rousted out...more
American History under the microscope - Industrialist Hamilton levers happy farmers out of their utopia and into the factories.
Under the nose of the Father of our Country, Alexander Hamilton manages eighteenth-century social engineering to drive small-time entrepeneurs out of the spirits marketplace and drive subsistence-level farmers into the urban labor markets. The farmers, recent victors over British tyranny, revolt again. The aging Washington dusts off his uniform and attacks his people.
Th...more
Under the nose of the Father of our Country, Alexander Hamilton manages eighteenth-century social engineering to drive small-time entrepeneurs out of the spirits marketplace and drive subsistence-level farmers into the urban labor markets. The farmers, recent victors over British tyranny, revolt again. The aging Washington dusts off his uniform and attacks his people.
Th...more
I really, really enjoyed this book; it's probably the only thing I've read about early American history that made me want to find more material about this period (yes, I know this sounds pathetic for someone who claims to be as well-read and into history as I do; I'll blame my educators). It is an especially good read given our current economic climate and the privileging of the creditor class throughout American history. Also, the parallels between Hamilton (yuck and ick) and Cheney are mindbog...more
A well written book on the affair known as the Whiskey Rebellion. The work focuses heavily on the actions of major players on both sides of the issue and gives a great deal of backstory development for them as well which is pertinent for understanding each and everyone's position on the matter. One really develops an intense disliking for Hamilton and the Federalist camp for their heavihandedness in the matter. The same ideas are rampant in government today and their actions then if things conti...more
In 1791 the newly formed government of the United States of America attempted to levy the first excise tax on the American people resulting in a string of uprisings in western Pennsylvania that became known as the Whiskey Rebellion. This provocative and enlightened history of the Whiskey Rebellion by Hogeland explores the political machinations behind the whiskey tax and the ensuing melee.
Hogeland describes these events in a gripping narrative that both illuminates and gives weight to the era. T...more
Hogeland describes these events in a gripping narrative that both illuminates and gives weight to the era. T...more
Money and politics....Does it ever change?
Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton maneuvered to get an excise tax put on whiskey. In so doing the east and the west part of the new US's interests were pitted against each other. As were the interests of the investor class against the producing class.
Hogeland makes the issues clear, and the outcome inevitable.
Simon Vance, one of my favorite narrators, did the audiobook narration.
Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton maneuvered to get an excise tax put on whiskey. In so doing the east and the west part of the new US's interests were pitted against each other. As were the interests of the investor class against the producing class.
Hogeland makes the issues clear, and the outcome inevitable.
Simon Vance, one of my favorite narrators, did the audiobook narration.
A thorough and entertaining overview of an important and much-overlooked part of American history. This book makes you rethink your views of George Washington and Alexander Hamilton. Written in a "People's History of the United States"-inspired tone with astute economic analysis, this book retraces some of the early events that established federal power and national taxation. Makes one want to raise a liberty pole.
Being from the Mingo Creek area and growing up in an area where people still talk about Tom the Tinkerer I feel that I can say that this is a great starter book for someone interested in the rebellion. Its a cool piece of American History that gets overshadowed by the Revolution and the War of 1812. As I said, a great starter book but not the end all to be all of the Whiskey Rebellion
Hamilton was not a nice man, Washington was not always in the lead, and quoting our Revolutionary Founders in protest is nothing new. Of interest to some might be the use of the military to enforce federal laws, the corruption and greed of early American financiers, and the use of local terrorism to protect Constitutional rights.
I must have missed this in history class. Very interesting to find that within 20 years of the revolution, the people who held power had forgotten the very reasons they sought independence from England. The parallels between today and then are astonishing. "The more things change, the more they stay the same."
A nicely researched and well developed book. At times it gave a little too much backround and lost the overall sense of drama. But, throughout most of the book it did a good job of developing the problems that led to the rebellion and more effectively showed Hamilton's goals for supressing it.
I like reading about seemingly obscure but significant events in history. The Whiskey Rebellion came about because the first excise tax levied by the new U.S. was a whiskey tax that was more costly to the small, local farmers who made their own whiskey, than it was to the larger conglomerates in the northeast.
The schemes with which politicans play with people's money has not changed in 200 years. This book describes the taxation of whiskey without perceived represenation. Western Pennsylvania was on the brink of civil war in the first uprising after the birth of our country.
I listened to this the reader wasn't the best and I skipped a lot of the story but if you were a historical novel person you would love it.
The history about money and the stock market was interesting -- no wonder we are where we are today.
The history about money and the stock market was interesting -- no wonder we are where we are today.
Sep 23, 2010
Craig J.
added it
"The Whiskey Rebellion: George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and the Frontier Rebels Who Challenged America's Newfound Sovereignty by William Hogeland (2006)"
Tax whiskey to pay for the new country. The little guys have another idea. Washington avoids "civil war." His 60,000 acres increase in value. The Feds find another way to fund the new nation.
I liked the story--some historical merit--I wonder how accurate. Still an enjoyable book. Fairly quick read.
good book, also see "The Whiskey Rebellion: Frontier Epilogue to the American Revolution" by Thomas P. Slaughter
Accounting major. I found this book interesting mostly because of how the tax effected the environment.
Of course I wish there was more about Western PA, but overall, I learned quite a bit, These isn't a lot written on this subject, though I there were times that some of the sentences describing the conditions surrounding the Whisky Rebellion could have been take verbatim from current news broadcasts.
Apr 04, 2009
Melinda
added it
Interesting to see how the lives intertwined in this historical fiction.
Loved the narrative of this text, highly recommend it.
An in-depth look at what is usually covered in a line or a paragraph in history texts. At times, it is as slow-going as it was for the militias to reach to western edge of Pennsylvania. Nevertheless, this is a very interesting account.
Picked it up expecting (hoping for) a narrative tale of the whiskey rebellion; several dozen pages in I felt like I was reading a book on economics because the author spent so much time explaining how the country's financial system developed. I put it down.
This is based upon the audio download from [www.audible.com].
Narrated by: Simon Vance
Horrible...I listened to it because of the greatness of Alexander Hamilton but this was a hoplessly dull story.
Narrated by: Simon Vance
Horrible...I listened to it because of the greatness of Alexander Hamilton but this was a hoplessly dull story.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| is it posible to wirte a history that is unbiased? | 2 | 3 | Nov 12, 2007 01:20pm |
