In the 1790s money was short on the Appalachian frontier, so most farmers would distill their corn into whiskey and use that as a medium of exchange. Then, the federal government, looking for ways to pay debt incurred fighting the Revolution, levied a tax on that whiskey, which led to an uprising across the Appalachians, dealt with swiftly by the president, George Washington.
You can subscribe to the Stories podcast on your favorite podcast app.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS