David Bradford Tells of his Frustration with the New Nation and the Whiskey Rebellion1

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My name is David Bradford, and I suppose you could say I'm a bit of a controversial figure in American history. I was a lawyer and politician in Western Pennsylvania, but I'm probably best known for my role in the Whiskey Rebellion—a time when ordinary folks like myself felt we were standing up against injustice, even if it meant going up against the government of our young nation.

I was born around 1760 in Maryland, but I eventually made my way to Washington County, Pennsylvania, where I built a successful law practice and became a respected member of the community. Life was tough for farmers out there in the frontier, and most of us relied heavily on distilling whiskey as a way to make a living. You see, whiskey was more than just a drink; it was our currency, our livelihood. Grain was hard to transport over the rough terrain, but whiskey was compact and valuable—it was often easier to trade than cash.

Then, in 1791, the federal government passed a tax on distilled spirits, hoping to raise money to pay off the national debt. To the farmers and distillers in Western Pennsylvania, this tax felt like a slap in the face. It was a burden we could hardly afford, and many of us saw it as unfairly targeting people who were already struggling. We felt like we were being treated as second-class citizens by a government that seemed distant and unresponsive to our needs.

In 1794, after years of tension and frustration, things came to a head. I became one of the leaders in the rebellion against the tax, encouraging people to stand up for what we believed was right. We held meetings, rallied support, and eventually resorted to direct action. Farmers and distillers banded together to resist the tax collectors, and it wasn’t long before things turned violent. We clashed with federal officials and even set fire to the home of a tax collector named John Neville. For me, this wasn’t just about whiskey—it was about standing up for the rights of the common man.

Of course, President George Washington didn’t see it that way. He saw the rebellion as a threat to the authority of the federal government and to the unity of the nation. In a historic move, he gathered a militia of around 13,000 troops—the largest force ever assembled by the federal government at that time—and marched to Pennsylvania to put down the rebellion. Faced with such overwhelming opposition, our resistance quickly crumbled. I knew I was a wanted man, and so I fled. I traveled down the Ohio River, eventually finding refuge in Spanish-controlled Louisiana, where I spent the rest of my life.

Looking back, I still believe we had valid grievances. The Whiskey Rebellion may have been a failure in the short term, but I think it raised important questions about fairness, representation, and the limits of government power. It’s a reminder that sometimes the voices of ordinary people need to be heard, even if they have to shout to get anyone to listen. I lived out my days in exile, but I never stopped believing in the cause that drove me to stand up in the first place.

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