Of all the taxes we pay, one of the oldest and probably least thought about are the taxes on our liquor. Beers, wines, and all hard alcohol is taxed on the proof gallon. This tax started in 1790 as a way for the federal government to raise money to pay for the states debts incurred during the revolutionary war. The tax was biased in favor of larger commercial alcohol producers, and this caused many communities along the early western frontier to rise up in protest. Western Pennsylvania is generally credited with being the center of the emerging rebellion but states … Continue reading Our Modern Whiskey Rebellion