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Sale 82
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Lot 486
Whiskey Rebellion Flag, c. 1794. 13-Star, 8-Stripe Flag,completely handsewn, 23½ x 38"; framed: 28¼" x 43¼". There are four white stripes, three red, and one blue, all made of single-ply wool bunting. The canton is made of the same bunting as the bottom blue stripe.The 13 stars which are sewn onto the flag are appliqued to one side only of the canton.
Each star is handcut, somewhat irregular in shape and placed irregularly on the canton. One large five-pointed star is in the center of the canton and a smaller five-pointed star is in each of the four corners; all five are made of single-ply woolen cloth. The other four five-pointed stars are made of cotton fabric, as are the four smaller four-pointed stars. The eight stripes are irregularly pieced together; they vary from 2 inches to 3 5/8 inches in width. Single-ply linen thread was used on all parts of the flag, except for the cotton thread which was used to secure the cotton stars. A detailed report by textile expert S.R. Goody is available upon request.
The eight stripes represent the eight western counties of Pennsylvania which were involved in the rebellion against the excise tax on domestically-produced distilled spirits implemented by Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton in 1791 as a means to help retire the national debt. The primarily Scots-Irish farmers in Western Pennsylvania, many of whom were desperately poor, saw the tax as an assault on their liberty. They, in turn, assaulted the tax collectors, culminating in the burning of the home, barn, and slave quarters of the chief excise collector, John Neville, a former Revolutionary War general and childhood friend of George Washington. President Washington called out a militia of some 13,000 men and personally led them to Bedford, Pennsylvania,where he turned them over to General Henry "Light Horse" Lee. By the time the army arrived in Pittsburgh, the rebels had gone home. Approximately 150 men were arrested and tried for treason but lack of evidence and witnesses hampered the trials. Two men, John Mitchell and Philip Weigel, were found guilty of treason but were subsequently pardoned by President Washington.
Washington was determined to maintain the authority of the federal government and he was well aware of the mob rule taking place in Revolutionary France. He reminded Americans that they had freely chosen their Government and that "respect for its authority, compliance with its laws, acquiescence in its measures, are duties enjoined by the fundamental maxims of true liberty. The basis of our political systems is the right of the people to make and to alter their constitutions of government. But the constitution which at any time exists till changed by an explicit and authentic act of the whole people is sacredly obligatory upon all. The very idea of the people to establish government presupposes the duty of every individual to obey the established government…"
President Thomas Jefferson repealed the excise tax on whiskey by 1802.
Buyer responsible for third party shipping. Call to make arrangements.
Estimated Value $8,000 - 12,000.
Ex. The Claude Harkins Collection of Americana.
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| Realized $24,000 |
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