Customer Reviews

The Whiskey Rebellion: George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and the Frontier Rebels Who Challenged America's Newfound Sovereignty

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

The Whiskey Rebellion, which came to a head in 1794 on the frontier of Western Pennsylvania, provides a great microcosm for viewing the early American republic. It encapsulates the stories of the nation's transformation into a centralized, commercial power, along with the expansion of the nation westward, which often presented challenges to that centralized power. It shows the demise of the radical populism of the Revolution and the rise of the conservative power of the creditor class. Alexander Hamilton, that machiavellian genius who was the architect of the emerging power of the commercial creditor class, plays a central role, as does George Washington, aging and nearly ready to exit the world stage. To understand the Whiskey Rebellion is to understand the formation and development of our early republic.

William Hogeland's new book is a first rate popular history of the Whiskey Rebellion with a definite point of view. With great clarity, he carefully explains both the machinations of Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, which created the conditions that sparked the rebellion, and the economic and cultural situation in Western Pennsylvania, where the effects of Hamilton's maneuvering to create a centralized commercial power were so devastating as to cause such a violent uprising. Step by step, he shows how the clash of the interests between classes and regions led to this most serious of popular rebellions against federal authority - how it happened, and how it was crushed.

More impressive even than Mr. Hogeland's clear, explanatory prose is his ability to animate the actors in this drama. He brings to life the people who inhabit his history, an ability more often found in fiction than in historical writings. I came away from reading his book feeling not just that I had learned about Alexander Hamilton, but that I actually knew him. Hugh Henry Brackenridge, the eccentric Pittsburgh lawyer who was swept up in the action of the rebellion, springs off the page full of quirky, nervous energy, and resonates as an off-beat, enigmatic tragic hero rather than just another obscure name and historical footnote, which is how many histories have treated him. Hogeland enlivens all the players in his history in this way, and that is the quality which sets his book apart as unique and extrordinary.

Read this book together with Thomas Slaughter's `Whiskey Rebellion: Frontier Epilogue to the American Revolution', and you should have everything you need to know about the Whiskey Rebellion short of doing a dissertation on it. If you are only going to read one book on the subject, Mr. Hogeland's is more accessible to the general reader and is livelier by far. This book is highly recommended for anyone interested in the career of Alexander Hamilton, the early republic, the early frontier, or the history of populist conflicts in America.

Theo Logos

I am starting to lose patience with history writing that interprets historical events through the lens of the personal character of the key players involved. (Such history writing usually leaves me wondering how accurate the author's take on his/her subject's psyche is, or, whether things would have been different if the subject had had a good hair day or started off their day with a solid breakfast.) Hogeland's account of the Whiskey Rebellion seems to have struck a good balance between narratology (understanding characters' motives) and analysis of objective, provable facts (in this case economics and politics).

Hogeland is a gifted writer. His description of whiskey making (pp. 64-66) is beautiful, almost poetic; his depictions of the frontier practice of tarring and feathering one's perceived enemies (pp. 20-23; 143-44) is chilling. His discussion of the economics of the early years of US nationhood is precise and convinciing without overwhelming the reader with theoretical concepts. In the end, Hogeland leaves the reader with a number of questions that continue to be relevant today: What rights should government have in controlling mob violence? free speech? How do national economic policies get shaped and implemented? What assurance do the poor have that government officials won't enact policies that benefit only themselves and their cronies? What moral standards should the military be held to and what are the ramifications when they fail to do so? How can individual rights be protected in the shadow of popular movements? What constitutes fair taxation? Clearly many Bill-of-Rights sorts of issues were being tested in this early conflict between one group of US citizens and their government. Hogeland does a good job of presenting this often-overlooked event in American history in a way that is both engaging and though-provoking. (The endnotes are also worth reading; they do a good job of identifying sources and making the author's case for his particular interpretations. Excellent bibliography.)

When I was in school, the most I ever was taught about the Whiskey Rebellion was that it caused commotion in the West, and had to be put down by the Federal government. Of course, there was mention of the tax on distilled spirits, but really nothing more. This book has finally explained to me the complex bachground of the disagreement between Westerners and the Eastern men who ran the government. Neither Washington nor Hamilton comes out of this book in a particularly good light, but perhaps the author reads too much into their actions. It's good to know the other side of the story, from the "rebels", who did to the government what the men in that government did to England over the idea of an "unjust tax". Even though we all know how the story ends, it's quite an exciting ride, and well worth reading!

This narrative historical account by Hogeland is a must read for any interested in this event and period in the early years of our representative republic.

The narrative is well done. His focus on Brackenridge as a key figure playing a delicate and dangerous balancing act is historically significant and adds much to the account. Also, some of the other key figures are well described and add great color and flavor. Additionally, there are several accounts that display the mindset of frontier life at the forks of the Ohio well. It was a very independent and productive place, but dangerous and unforgiving too. Simply put, there is a strong sense of being amongst it all while reading it.

The history is well researched and his iconoclastic account of Hamilton is a breath of fresh air. I've read endlessly on this period of our history and as such have concluded that Hamilton was dangerously ambitious and worked contrary to our founding principles often. Hogeland provides examples and catalogs a brief snapshot of the larger story of Hamilton in this context. Even many federalists of the time found him dangerous and too extreme for them. Few liked him (who knew him or worked with him), and for good reason. True, he "accomplished" much, but I seriously question the short and long term consequences of these "accomplishments". I contend much of what Hamilton did was not consistent with our founding principles. And as such have ultimately led to a government system far more centralized than our founders intended. Given the largely mythical mainstream version of Hamilton, it seems those who expose a more balanced and aptly critical history of Hamilton are often subject to attacks by those who favor a stronger centralized system. That said, Hogeland does a fantastic job of partially exposing Hamilton during this crisis. We need more iconoclastic accounts such as he presents - no matter who -, it's useful and provides great lessons.

Hogeland approaches the subject from all angles. And as such is covers much in a very short space. This is a most relevant work of history. And for all interested in this most pivotal period in history, it is a must read.

Finally, I do have a biased for the subject, given I grew up 100 meters from Couch's Fort and know all the areas described in the book well. But my bias for the subject itself has no bearing on my objectivity regarding the Hogelands work.

This book provides an in-depth report of the Whiskey Rebellion, the first major domestic challenge to the federal authority of the United States. Hogeland details the history from the tax revolt, to the march of federal troops to quell disturbances in the region, to the eventual trials of the rebel ringleaders. Hogeland also describes some of the major players and their views, from Herman Husband to Alexander Hamilton, from the Nevilles to Hugh Brackenridge. The book is written in a style that is easily accessible to general readers. References to source materials are provided through extensive endnotes, cited by topic rather than number so as not to interrupt the flow of the main text. In researching material for this book, Hogeland relied on many first-hand narratives found in private and public collections throughout Western Pennsylvania, as well as consulting some of the standard previously published accounts of the rebellion.

Hogeland goes to great pains to discuss Hamilton's political motives behind imposing the tax on whiskey. He also presents some of Husband's unique vision of the American West as the New Jerusalem. He traces Brackenridge's actions in detail, depicting him as the hero of the rebellion because of his constant attempts to bring both sides together, to minimize property damage perpetrated by the rebels, while seeking to get the federal forces to moderate their response. If there is a hero in the story, of course, there must be villains, played by Presley Neville and Alexander Hamilton in this account.

Reading this book provided me with much more information about the Whiskey Rebellion than I had ever heard before. However, it still left me a bit dissatisfied. I would like to have found more in the book about the economic consequences of the whiskey tax for Western Pennsylvania farmers--more about why the tax enraged them enough to make them want to secede from the Union. I grew up in Washington, Pennsylvania, where we were frequently told the story of the Whiskey Rebellion in school. Our teachers would explain to us how local farmers felt the tax was extremely unfair because the only viable way for the farmers to get their grain over the Allegheny mountains to markets in the East was in the form of whiskey. Since farmers in the East could sell grain without having to convert it to whiskey or pay the whiskey tax, Western Pennsylvanians felt the tax was laid specifically on them, and thus David Bradford was considered a hero for leading the rebel forces against the evil feds. Although Hogeland describes why Hamilton wanted money, he doesn't go into why Hamilton chose a tax specifically on whiskey, or why he refused to back down on the decision when the Western Pennsylvania farmers complained. In general, Hogeland goes into great detail describing the motivations of moderates like Brackenridge, as well as the Nevilles and Hamilton, but he does not explore in such detail what was driving the rebel leaders. Perhaps this was an artifact of the historical materials that were available--Brackenridge, Hamilton, and the Nevilles all left behind written documents of their actions during the Rebellion, and the rebel leaders did not. Of the rebel leaders, he tells Husband's story in detail as if he were a major player. While Husband may have been the only major leader to land in jail, the traditional historical accounts from the area don't give him the emphasis that Hogeland does in this book. Thus, it seems like Hogeland's balance in telling of the tale may be overly influenced by the quantity of materials available.

This is a little known event in American history that is covered very well here. The genius of Hamilton's financial polices can be seen in the necessity of the excise tax and the aversion of the American yeomen farmer is just as apparent. These frontier rebels believed they were carrying on the revolution by leading their army against George Washington. The prose is excellent and very clear throughout the whole book. You find yourself excited to know what happens next and the book weaves a compelling story about one of the first challenges to the newly established government. This book is a must read for those who really want to understand the early days of the United States.

I had not heard of William Hogeland prior to reading this book so I had no preconceived notions regarding his political leanings. However, it wasn't long before I began to get the distinct impression that this work had a particular axe to grind. While I am reluctant to ascribe to any author an intentional bias, it is my impression that a critical look at Mr. Hogeland's version of the events surrounding the Whiskey Rebellion does indeed reveal evidence of a left-leaning political slant. Mr. Hogeland appears to believe that the rebellion was a populist reaction to an intentional economic conspiracy designed by a collaboration of wealthy eastern creditors/financiers led by Robert Morris and high Federalists, epitomized by Alexander Hamilton. The argument that the government could have been justified in its forceful response to a threat to its sovereignty is summarily dismissed.

My chief criticism of this book, at base, is that it is too simplistic in its portrayal of Hamilton as a conniving megalomaniac obsessed with grasping at personal power and of President Washington as a sometimes naive marionette unwittingly dancing to Hamilton's tune as if Hamilton were some malicious plotter attempting to get Washington to do his bidding through subliminal suggestion. While one gets a sense of Hamilton's virtuosity, Hogeland fails to convey the complexity of the multifaceted Alexander Hamilton. Indeed, I find it difficult to believe that the very same Hamilton, who displayed such admirable courage, valor and loyalty on the battlefields of Monmouth and Trenton and who wanted so desperately for his adopted country to succeed could possibly have been so destitute of altruism as Mr. Hogeland would have us believe.

While Mr. Hogeland has every right to his political opinions, the lack of objectivity in the book made me question the veracity (and therefore the validity) of its claims. For me, the lack of objectivity and balance compromises this work thereby transforming it into a socio-political diatribe rather than an objective history.

This audio details the skirmishes of the Whiskey Rebellion from 1791 to 1795 and the first attempt at an excise tax, by Secretary of Finance Alexander Hamilton, right after the American's had rejected British taxation. This tax favored large distillers over small farmers. Eventually Washington used federal troops to stop the rebellion, but not before an underreported, chapter in American history had happened. The full title is: The Whiskey Rebellion: George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and the Frontier Rebels Who Challenged America's Newfound Sovereignty. [...].

I had never fully understood the reasons for and the behind-the-scenes conniving leading up to and causing the Whiskey Rebellion. Now I do. This is the best book on the Whiskey Rebellion I have ever read. Not only does it explain all the whys, whos, and whats; it is entertaining besides.
On the one hand there was Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton and his wealthy cronies, friends and supporters. On the other hand, there was the lower class (many who were soldiers in the American Revolution). By holding down the poor, Alexander found a way to further enrich the already wealthy. I never did like that Hamilton character; now I really, really don't.
Angry, armed, poor people being screwed over by the rich and powerful. Hmmm, just after they--many of them soldiers--won our independence. It isn't any wonder they were a wee bit irritated.
Hamilton creates a problem that leads to armed conflict; George Washington then has to step in to end it.
After you read this book, you will understand all the why, whats, whos, hows, and wheres. This is a wonderful book--excellent history and entertaining besides.

"The Whiskey Rebellion," a beautifully written and ambitious new look at an often slighted chapter in American history, paints what is sure to be controversial new portraits of Alexander Hamilton and George Washington while introducing some colorful new characters such as Herman Husband. Hogeland's idea is that Hamilton forced a federal response to Westerners sometimes violent non-compliance with the whiskey tax in order to consolidate federal power. Hamilton, the villain in the book, wanted the whiskey tax both for revenue to fund federal bonds (an old and widely accepted idea), and also to enhance the power of the largest and most efficient farmers and distillers while turning poor farmers, particularly in the West (people who sometimes lacked clear title to land also claimed by wealthy Easterners including Washington), into a landless peasantry. The story centers in the frontier region around Pittsburgh. "The Whiskey Rebellion" is particularly valuable in describing these pioneers as individuals, including their millenarian inspiration and expectations. Most did not knowingly seek a revolution although that was the inexorable logic of their actions. An unexpected tragic figure emerges in Hugh Henry Brackenridge who valiantly tried to reconcile the two sides to prevent what he saw as a civil war, only to end up vilified by both the rebellious farmers and the federalists. Hogeland sometimes seems to wish the Western rebels had succeeded even though that would have meant that the United States would not have emerged as a single power, at least at that time. He is certainly more sympathetic with the tax-refusers than with Hamilton and his allies. Hogeland's version of Washington as a bumbling and greedy old man tottering on the brink of senility is a little alarming. While the book often reads like a novel -- it is that well-written -- it is, in fact, serious history based on thorough archival research. I recommend it to anyone with an interest in the history of the early days of the republic.