In March the Bridgeville Area Historical Society reverted to its traditional “last Tuesday Evening” schedule with an excellent presentation on the Whiskey Rebellion by local historian Brady Crytzer. Mr. Crytzer spoke extemporaneously, covering the “big picture” causes of this significant event in the early years of our new nation and the important role it played in defining the nation’s identity. He is a history professor at Robert Morris University; the author of seven books about local history, including one on this subject; and narrator/commentator on several television series dealing with American history in the colonial/Revolutionary War era.
The speaker began his talk by focusing on one group of immigrants to the English colonies – the Scotch-Irish. They were malcontents who had been uprooted from their homes in Scotland and resettled in Ireland, where they were unwelcome. The opportunity to leave the British Isles and go to the New World, where even a poor family could own land, was too good to be passed up. Once they arrived in Philadelphia, they learned that all the land there was occupied by the hated English. Farther west were regions already in the hands of German settlers, so they ended up on the frontier, in the Appalachians. When the Treaty of Fort Stanwix opened up this area to settlement, they were among the first to come here and stake their claims.
Although this area also was home to rich aristocrats from Virginia like John Neville, most of its residents were extremely poor subsistence farmers, who relied upon their land to produce most of their needs. They were self-reliant and independent people who considered government as something necessary only to protect them from the Native Americans who had been forced out of their land by the influx of colonists. When the Revolution occurred, they were supportive, although the bulk of their involvement was as frontier militia fighting Indians who had allied with the British army.
Fifteen years later they were citizens of a brand new nation, with a brand new Constitution, and a President keenly aware that he was establishing precedent for the chief executives who might follow him. Washington established a Cabinet of extremely talented men with experience in specific fields that he lacked. Perhaps the most powerful of these was Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of the Treasury, whom Mr. Crytzer categorized as a would-be Prime Minister. Hamilton believed in a strong Federal government allied with business and commercial leaders. If anything, subsistence farmers on the frontier were a drag on his economy.
In 1791 Hamilton persuaded Congress to pass legislation imposing an excise tax (nine cents per gallon) on the manufacture of whiskey, with specific tax breaks for large distilleries. John Neville had the largest (500 gallons) distillery in the area – the subsistence farmers had much smaller (about ten gallons) stills. The speaker explained that whiskey represented the only way the farmers could benefit from surplus crops and provide income to purchase the few things they couldn’t provide themselves. Corn and rye were easy to grow, but too bulky to transport across the mountains and sell in Philadelphia. Converted into whiskey, they became a profitable cash crop when not burdened by Hamilton’s tax.
Worse than that, Hamilton required them to pay the tax in currency, although there was none on the frontier, where transactions were conducted by barter or by promissory notes. In addition, any malcontents failing to pay that tax had to travel to Philadelphia for trial in the federal court. The combination of the independent life style of the frontiersmen, the inherent distrust of the English by the Scotch-Irish settlers here, and their legitimate grievances eventually led to insurrection, the destruction of Neville’s plantation Bower Hill, and the eventual establishment of martial law in western Pennsylvania by a massive army led by Hamilton — a very embarrassing event in the first years of our country.
I was very favorably impressed by Mr. Crytzer’s presentation and, at the same time, struck by the difference between a professional historian and amateur history buffs like me. His comprehension of the overlying concepts that generated this disagreement and the relevance of the Federal Government’s reaction to it were superbly articulated, and added to my perception of it. However, I did find fault with his omission of or incorrect reference to a number of trivial details, most of which are not in the category of documented history. I have witnessed numerous re-enactments of Whiskey Rebellion events at the Oliver Miller Homestead, the Neville House, and in Washington, Pa. Each of these emphasized specific things that made the re-enactments entertaining; primarily things that are the subject of speculation and are not well documented. For example, an important part of Bower Hill lore is the tale that Major James McFarlane, commander of the rebels, was fatally shot during a cease-fire precipitated by a white flag, a bit of trivia ignored by Mr. Crytzer. An item like this pales in significance to the overall picture, but does appeal to us buffs.
I was surprised to learn that David Bradford was a reluctant leader of the Whiskey Rebels, and had to be coerced to join them in their march to Braddock’s Field.Contradicting this is the fact that he is described as being dressed in an elegant custom-tailored general’s uniform, complete with epaulets and brass buttons. I did disagree with Crytzer’s ignoring the influence of Hugh Henry Brackenridge in persuading the mob to not burn down Pittsburgh, but to disperse and go home peaceably. This influence is well recorded in a document Brackenridge himself wrote.
In summary, Mr. Crytzer’s presentation was a welcome addition to our understanding of a very important era in our nation’s history. Next month’s program is scheduled for 7:30 pm on Tuesday, April 30, 2024, in the Chartiers Room of the Bridgeville Volunteer Fire Department. Gary Euler will discuss “The Life and Times of Roberto Clemente”.