On today’s date in 1794, President George Washington declared martial law to quell The Whiskey Rebellion. The rebellion was due to a tax on whiskey that penalized small farmers more than large whiskey producers, which included Washington. A militia of nearly 13,000 men was assembled to march on the rebels. This was the first time that the young nation used military force against its citizens. Perhaps self interest in politics is part of our national heritage.
"Government is not reason, it is not eloquence - it is force."
–George Washington
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