by Mitch Cook | May 4th, 2010
In a move that shocked the world, America earned its liberty from England. Fighting for and then winning emancipation are two very different things as the newly created Nation called The United States of America quickly found out. War is expensive. So is Nation building and Administration.
America’s war debt could have easily ruined the new nation. But with careful planning and new tax laws, it could be recovered in time. But what America had strived so hard to escape from was now a reality all its own. Nations require Governance; especially new nations. In one of his first acts as President, George Washington, acting on the advice from his Treasury Secretary, Alexander Hamilton, created the Whiskey Act of 1791; an excise tax on whiskey to help pay for war debt. This did NOT sit well with some citizens who had just fought very hard to avoid taxation. So, several small farmers and supporters refused to pay and used violence against tax collectors. Washington had to assemble a small militia to quell the rebellion, but it wasn’t necessary. The rebellion ended peacefully and all those charged were later released.
This small act of rebellion (and others, see Shay’s Rebellion) showed just how adamant the people of the United States were in their unhesitating ability to rise up against tyranny, or perceived tyranny, and that the new Government had to be ready and willing to suppress such acts of rebellion when necessary. A balancing act to be sure. This led to the formation of political parties. This was one of the first unintended consequences of the Declaration of Independence. (The Whiskey Act was repealed with Thomas Jefferson and his Democratic – Republican Party)
What this demonstrates is a clear and direct challenge to the new Government and a total denial of what it means to be a responsible citizen. Those small acts of rebellion were ludicrous. Small minded people who didn’t care if their Government folded or ignorance in how a Nation works. After deficit spending to build and army, feed and supply that army, maintain a Government, all during a time of war with the greatest military on the planet doesn’t come without a price. Human lives were lost, property and innocence stolen, all so the nations citizens could be free. And THIS is the thanks they got for it?
Fortunately, this wasn’t the mindset of the masses at the time. Most people were well aware of the costs and were willing to pay them. But once the debt was recovered, Citizens expected those specific taxes to end. They also wanted guarantees about how the new Government should run and how it should be formed. They needed rules. What sort of economy would they have? What currency should they use? Could States make their own rules? How should elections work? Who would be the leader and what would he be called? They expected rights and would not be satisfied until they got them; in writing.
Next: The Constitution
-MRC
