Whiskey Rebel Pardons Of 1795...!

You might know that the first ever presidential pardon came from ol' George Washington himself!

Seems that George had a pretty good head on his shoulders most of the time. I think he tried to avoid conflict most of the time, and concentrated on finding a peaceful way to solve problems. I reckon he was just plain tired of fighting, ya know?

Whiskey Rebellion

The first ever act of presidential forgiveness came in the wake of an armed rebellion. Fed up with a costly federal tax on distilled spirits, in 1794 a group of whiskey-producing Pennsylvania farmers took to the streets and burned the home of a local tax inspector. The attack came on the heels of several other protests and many politicians—most notably Secretary Alexander Hamilton—argued that it threatened the stability of the newly formed United States.

Faced with the possibility of a widespread uprising, President George Washington reluctantly marched a 13,000-strong militia into western Pennsylvania to quell the rebellion. Some 20 members of the mob were arrested, and two were convicted of treason and sentenced to death by hanging. Desperate to avoid further discontent, Washington chose to pardon both men in July 1795.

Some presidents go through their whole terms without issuing any pardons at all. Some give pardons that remain very controversial even to this day! Guess you can't please everyone, right?

Guess we better have our coffee in the kitchen this morning. Rain is coming this way again!