Whisky & Bitters

Anyone interested in the Early American Republic will enjoy Richard D. Fuerle's Rebellion!, a musical-theater account of the 1794 Whiskey Rebellion.  As I understand it, the rebellion sprung out of the federal government's attempts to generate revenue through its new powers of taxation.  In an attempt at equity among the states, it looked to tax articles of general consumption, eventually settling on whisky, the consumption of which was about as general as one can get.  Not to mention rather excessive, as best I can gather. 

However, the tax fell exceptionally heavily on whisky producers in western Pennsylvania, who had few other options for transporting their produce to market.  Rather than transport bulky commodities at prohibitive expense, they transformed them into whisky.  Aggrieved, and still fresh from revolution, they disputed the taxes in the same terms.  Arguably, they had a case, although they got a smackdown from the Supreme Court in 1796, when it upheld the constitutionality of a tax on carriages as an indirect rather than a direct tax. 

In any case, the Pennsylvanians rose up in arms, then got put down by the federal militia, led by Washington &c.  A sad day for tax protest, from which I suspect it's never fully recovered.  It's a long way down from appalled revolutionaries challenging taxes on constitutional principle, to crackpots looking for an excuse not to file.  But G-d bless 'em anyway, even good old Mr. Cheek! 

Incidentally, I find the song entitled Capitalism particularly amusing.  For the title alone, if nothing else.  Though "Mercantilism" would have been a touch more apt, given that it was the Federalist Era.  If a touch more cynical, too.

Link via Alina Stefanescu of Totalitarianism Today, who also provides an exceptionally thoughtful and perceptive review of Walk of the Line.