27 October 2012

Liberty Poles and Whiskey Rebellion Flag




The Whiskey Rebellion by William Hodgeland, 2006, Excerpts

By May 1794, liberty poles were rising. Up to a hundred feet tall, these were symbols made most famously in Boston. The appearance of liberty poles in the western country thus had a meaning that was clear to everyone. The western country had its own flag now too.

Rebellion against tyranny was under way. The people saw the whiskey tax only as a symbol. They wanted repeal, but they were also talking about a redistribution of wealth, especially of land, with rules for access to land and rewards for improvement. 





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