- Financial Burden: The whiskey excise tax imposed a federal tax on distilled spirits, including whiskey, one of the most common products produced by farmers in the western regions of Pennsylvania and other frontier areas. This tax added an extra financial burden to farmers who relied on whiskey production as a significant source of income.
- Transportation and Infrastructure Challenges: Many farmers in these regions relied on distilling their surplus grain into whiskey as a means of preserving it and reducing bulk, making it easier to transport their agricultural products to markets located far from their farms. The whiskey tax made this process less profitable, as the tax was imposed on the final distilled product before it reached the market. This was especially problematic given the lack of adequate roads and infrastructure in the frontier areas, which made transporting other products more challenging.
- Government's Lack of Representation and Understanding: Farmers felt that the federal government, dominated by wealthy elites from the coastal regions of the country, did not understand their economic struggles or the importance of whiskey production in their local economies. They argued that the tax disproportionately affected small-scale farmers who lacked political power and representation.
- Discontent with the Excise Tax System: The whiskey tax was not the first excise tax imposed by the federal government. Farmers were already frustrated with previous excise taxes on other goods, such as tobacco, which they felt discriminated against rural areas and favored wealthy urban elites.
- Economic Hardship: Many frontier farmers were already facing economic difficulties due to low crop prices and the scarcity of currency in the region. The whiskey tax further squeezed their already strained finances, leading to deep resentment and anger.
In summary, the farmers' anger during the Whiskey Rebellion stemmed from the financial burden of the whiskey excise tax, the impact it had on their livelihoods and transportation challenges, the government's perceived lack of understanding and representation, and the broader context of economic hardship faced by farmers in the region.