Inside the Vault: The Whiskey Rebellion and United States Great Seal
by Gilder Lehrman Staff
On June 1, 2023, our curators were joined by Dr. Gautham Rao (American University) to discuss the Whiskey Rebellion and the United States Great Seal. The program explored the broader context of the Whiskey Rebellion and how it, like the Great Seal, legitimized federal power in the early United States.
View the slide deck from the presentation.
FEATURED DOCUMENTS
- Report on Public Credit, December 13, 1790
- Letter from Alexander Hamilton to Edward Carrington, March 21, 1791
- Certification of Duty Payment on Rum, circa 1791–1794
- An Act Relative to the Compensations of Certain Officers, May 8, 1792
- Letter from Alexander Hamilton to Thomas Mifflin, September 20, 1794
- Sixth Annual Address to Congress, November 1794
- Presidential Pardon of the Ringleaders of the Whiskey Rebellion, March 3, 1797
USE THE TIMESTAMPS BELOW TO JUMP TO THE TOPIC YOU WANT TO VIEW
- 6:16–6:06: Today’s Documents
- 6:07–15:27: Report on Public Credit
- 15:28–23:29: Tax Collectors
- 23:30–26:26: Edward Carrington, Supervisor of the Revenue
- 26:27–33:48: Certification of Duty Payment on Rum
- 33:49–42:22: The Whiskey Rebellion
- 34:04–48:42: Washington's Address to Congress
- 48:43–45:49: Presidential Pardon of the Leaders of the Rebellion
- 45:50–47:49: The United States Great Seal
- 47:50–1:02:11: Q&A
RELATED RESOURCES
- Essay: “George Washington and the Constitution” by Theodore J. Crackel, History Now 13 (Fall 2007)
- Essay: “The Early Republic” by Joseph J. Ellis (Mount Holyoke College)
- Essay: “The Presidential Election of 1800: A Story of Crisis, Controversy, and Change” by Joanne B. Freeman (Yale University), History Now 1 (Fall 2004)
- Lesson Plan: “American Symbols: The Flag, the Statue of Liberty, and the Great Seal” by Tim Bailey
- Spotlight on a Primary Source: “The Whiskey Rebellion, 1794”