What Were the Causes and Process of the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794 and to what Extent Does It Symbolize the Division between the Federalist and Republican Factions?

The causes of the Whiskey Rebellion can be explained in terms of the immediate events preceding it; however a true understanding also requires an explanation of the political differences which plagued American since its independence. The immediate cause of the Rebellion was the imposition of an excise tax on the production of whiskey. The then Federalist run government implemented the tax to finance the costs of building up American defenses which followed the British seizure of ships in the West Indies. …