Alexander Hamilton, though beloved by many today, thanks to Lin-Manuel Miranda, was once an unpopular guy back home in Washington County. Why? Because he introduced the first federal tax in American history, a tax on whiskey.
 
Hamilton’s whiskey tax passed Congress in 1791 as part of a plan that would help the federal government pay off the national debt from the Revolutionary War. The whiskey tax was especially unpopular in Washington County. Southwestern Pennsylvania collectively produced one-fourth of the nation’s whiskey at that time, leading thousands of local farmers to band together to resist the new tax. Farmers distilled their excess grain into whiskey, which was easier and more profitable to transport over the Appalachian Mountains. And since it could so readily be exchanged for money, it was often used in place of cash. For example, farmers were often paid for their dry goods with whiskey, and merchants exchanged it for their next year’s supplies.
 
In July of 1794, 400 disaffected whiskey rebels, mainly from Washington County, attacked and destroyed the home of a tax inspector just south of Pittsburgh. The rebellion grew in numbers and threatened to spread to other states. In response, President George Washington led a force of 13,000 troops into Western Pennsylvania. By the time the federal force arrived, the rebellion had collapsed, and most rebels had fled.
 
While we can all agree violence is never the answer to policy disagreement, the Whiskey Rebellion has become an important historical moment for Southwestern Pennsylvania. Each year, Washington County celebrates the Whiskey Rebellion Festival during the second weekend in July. The summer festival honors this significant period of America’s early days through historic reenactments, history and heritage displays, street theater performances, music, food and libations, all the while shining a national spotlight on Washington, Pennsylvania.
 
In the spirit of this annual local celebration, I will be introducing a bill to eliminate taxes on whiskey for the month of July 2026, while we celebrate our history and the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding. It is my hope that through history and education, we can remember what makes Pennsylvania and America so great.
 
Please join me in co-sponsoring the Semiquincentennial Whiskey Tax Holiday.