The Whiskey Rebellion

Finished reading Hogeland's book last night. Heartily recommend it to anyone, but especially to those who may still think the American experiment has been nothing but glorious. George W. perhaps put inordinate trust in Alexander Hamilton, and Hamilton -- well, let's just say his handling of the excise tax and subsequent rebellion was probably not his finest moment. In our patriotic zeal, we sometimes, I think, overlook just how difficult and sometimes inglorious the march towards national sovereignty was.