George Washington Personally Led an Army Against the Whiskey Rebellion
In 1794, President Washington became the only U.S. president to personally lead troops in the field when he marched 13,000 soldiers against Pennsylvania whiskey distillers protesting federal taxes.
About this fact
The Whiskey Rebellion of 1794 was the first major test of federal authority under the new Constitution. Western Pennsylvania farmers, who distilled their grain into whiskey for easier transport and sale, violently resisted Alexander Hamilton's federal excise tax on distilled spirits. They tarred and feathered tax collectors, burned down the home of a tax inspector, and threatened armed resistance. President Washington, determined to prove the federal government's authority, personally led a force of 13,000 militiamen from several states - larger than the Continental Army he had commanded during the Revolution. This made him the only sitting U.S. president to personally command troops in the field. The massive show of force worked: the rebellion collapsed without major bloodshed, establishing the precedent that federal law would be enforced.