Whiskey Rebellion: Answers to Question 7.

President George Washington reviewing the militia troops at Fort Cumberland. (The Metropolitan Museum of Art)

If you answered:

A). Finally. Now there will be law and order. That was the Federalist opinion.
B). Maybe it’s time to leave. I don’t want to meet any soldiers. That was the Rebel opinion.
C). That won’t be necessary. We can handle it without the army. That was the Moderate opinion.

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It is estimated 2,000 men fled the area when they heard of the approaching army. This included rebel leader David Bradford, who took a barge down the Ohio River. Other rebels were pardoned, having signed the amenity and oath of allegiance on September 11th.

The western Pennsylvanians meet again. They elected two representatives to meet with President Washington in Bedford, Pennsylvania before the army started to march. They assured the president the residents had submitted, and the military wasn’t needed. Washington was not convinced. He said he needed “unequivocal proofs of absolute submission.” The army would march to the west.

Washington went to central Pennsylvania and western Maryland to oversee the gathering militias and participate in formal reviews of the troops. Washington believed the militia was needed so violence didn’t break out again. He also wanted to teach the whole country a lesson: they were not to disobey the laws. Then the president put Virginia Governor Henry Lee and Secretary Hamilton in charge of the army and headed back to Philadelphia.

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