These debt-ridden farmers have been taxed on their distilled alcohol to the point where they are scrounging by with little money. They were in an already deep economic depression and many had lost their farms. Many farmers, distilling alcohol for their own consumption, not to be sold, have been forced to pay this unruly tax. After pleading with the Federal Government to ease the tax, The PA farmers finally rebelled, under the lead of Daniel Shay.
In 1784, the farmers rebelled against the tax to try and put an end to it. In response Washington commanded 13,000