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103-713: The Standard Chemical Company (SCC) of Canonsburg , Pennsylvania , was the first successful commercial producer of radium. SCC operated the radium refining mill from 1911 to 1922 on a 19-acre (77,000 m2) plot of land. The company supplied radium to the United States Radium Corporation for use in their watch dials. The company was established by Joseph M. Flannery (1867-1920) and his brother James J. Flannery (1855-1920). In 1909 their sister became ill with cancer. Joseph, after traveling to Europe and learning that radium could treat cancer, and in an effort to help his sister, he decided that he would refine

206-411: A "conspiracy of this sort is difficult to document". Whether by design or not, large distillers recognized the advantage that the excise gave them and they supported it. Other aspects of the excise law also caused concern. The law required all stills to be registered, and those cited for failure to pay the tax had to appear in distant federal courts, rather than local courts. The only federal courthouse

309-584: A 19-acre (77,000 m ) plot of land. From 1930 to 1942, the company purified uranium ore. Marie Curie was invited to the United States in 1921 and was given an honorary degree by the University of Pittsburgh , and one gram of radium. From 1942 to 1957, Vitro Manufacturing Company refined uranium and other rare metals from various ores and onsite residues, government-owned uranium ore, process concentrates, and scrap materials. The government bought

412-520: A committee to meet with the peace commissioners who had been sent west by President Washington. There, Gallatin presented an eloquent speech in favor of peace and against proposals from Bradford to further revolt. President Washington was confronted with what appeared to be an armed insurrection in western Pennsylvania, and he proceeded cautiously while determined to maintain governmental authority. He did not want to alienate public opinion, so he asked his cabinet for written opinions about how to deal with

515-416: A considerably larger proportion of their product's value than larger Eastern distillers. Less-educated farmers, who in this era were often illiterate , also feared they would be cheated by corrupt tax collectors . Small-scale distillers believed that Hamilton deliberately designed the tax to ruin them and promote big business, a view endorsed by some historians. However, historian Thomas Slaughter argued that

618-464: A financial system that would promote American prosperity and national unity. In his Report on Public Credit , he urged Congress to consolidate the state and national debts into a single debt that would be funded by the federal government. Congress approved these measures in June and July 1790. A source of government revenue was needed to pay the respectable amount due to the previous bondholders to whom

721-434: A higher tax per gallon (9 cents), which made them less competitive. The regressive nature of the tax was further compounded by an additional factor: whiskey sold for considerably less on the cash-poor Western frontier than in the wealthier and more populous East. This meant that, even if all distillers had been required to pay the same amount of tax per gallon, the small-scale frontier distillers would still have to remit

824-451: A military assembly to meet at Braddock's Field , about 8 mi (13 km) east of Pittsburgh. On August 1, about 7,000 people gathered at Braddock's Field. The crowd consisted primarily of poor people who owned no land, and most did not own whiskey stills. The furor over the whiskey excise had unleashed anger about other economic grievances. By this time, the victims of violence were often wealthy property owners who had no connection to

927-474: A popular referendum must be held to determine if the local people supported the decision. Those who agreed to these terms would be given amnesty from further prosecution. The committee was divided between radicals and moderates, and narrowly passed a resolution agreeing to submit to the government's terms. The popular referendum was held on September 11 and also produced mixed results. Some townships overwhelmingly supported submitting to U.S. law, but opposition to

1030-403: A recreational lake, lies directly east of the town. Canonsburg has four borders, including Cecil Township to the north and northeast, North Strabane Township to the east and south, Houston to the southwest, and Chartiers Township to the west and northwest. As of the 2010 census, there were 8,992 people, 3,809 households, and 2,285 families residing in the borough. The population density

1133-499: A result, many western counties never had a resident federal tax official. In addition to the whiskey tax, westerners had a number of other grievances with the national government, chief among which was the perception that the government was not adequately protecting the residents living in the western frontier. The Northwest Indian War was going badly for the United States, with major losses in 1791. Furthermore, westerners were prohibited by Spain (which then owned Louisiana) from using

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1236-474: A veteran of the Revolutionary War. Neville had also received reinforcements: 10 U.S. Army soldiers from Pittsburgh under the command of Major Abraham Kirkpatrick, Neville's brother-in-law. Before the rebel force arrived, Kirkpatrick had Neville leave the house and hide in a nearby ravine. David Lenox and General Neville's son Presley Neville also returned to the area, though they could not get into

1339-539: Is home to the Pittsburgh Cougars junior hockey league team. The second-largest Fourth of July parade in the state of Pennsylvania, second only to Philadelphia , is held in Canonsburg. In the weeks leading up to the parade, the town frequently gains media attention for its residents setting up folding chairs along the town's main street to stake claim to prime viewing areas. Additionally, Canonsburg

1442-544: Is host to an annual Oktoberfest . In the television series Supernatural , the town is featured in the episode " Monster Movie ", which is set in the borough during the Oktoberfest celebration. Sometime prior to May 1780, Colonel John Canon , a common miller who served as justice of the Virginia courts at Fort Pitt , purchased some land around Chartiers Creek from the state of Virginia . The state had claimed what

1545-552: Is now southwestern Pennsylvania in a dispute that would not finally be settled until later in the decade. In 1781 Pennsylvania carved Washington County out of Westmoreland County , and the county seat was established at Washington. The notes of the first session of the Washington County Court during that year indicate a call for a road from Canon's mill to Pittsburgh. The road to Pittsburgh, called Pitt Street, remains in part today as an archaic and indirect route to

1648-570: Is the second-largest Fourth of July parade in Pennsylvania, second only to Philadelphia , despite Canonsburg having only 8,992 residents. 50,000 to 60,000 people usually attend. The parade starts on Morganza Road and runs down the length of Pike Street, heading westward, for approximately 1.5 miles. The parade begins at 10:00 am on the Fourth of July. Parade members include high school and other marching bands from Washington County and

1751-547: The Newburgh Crisis in 1783, where he conceived of using military force to crush popular resistance to direct taxation in the same vein as the Whiskey Rebellion. Historian S. E. Morison believed that Hamilton, in general, wished to enforce the excise law "more as a measure of social discipline than as a source of revenue". Federal Marshal Lenox delivered most of the writs without incident. On July 15, he

1854-462: The presidency of George Washington . The so-called "whiskey tax" was the first tax imposed on a domestic product by the newly formed federal government. The "whiskey tax" became law in 1791, and was intended to generate revenue to pay the war debt incurred during the Revolutionary War. Farmers of the western frontier were accustomed to distilling their surplus rye, barley, wheat, corn, or fermented grain mixtures to make whiskey. These farmers resisted

1957-630: The surrounding areas , local sports teams and cheerleaders of all ages, fire trucks , emergency responders , shriners , unicyclists , jugglers , pipers , polka bands , various church groups, members of the VFW , local politicians, and the mayor of Canonsburg. Some groups throw candy to the children along the parade route, and others pass out water bottles. After the parade, the day's festivities continue with food, concerts, events in Canonsburg Town Park, and family entertainment throughout

2060-463: The "forts". Canonsburg's largest financial draw having left, it would take the introduction of the railroad system to return the city to its former glory. The railroad system, on its way from Mansfield (Carnegie) to Washington (See: Chartiers Branch ), was fully operational, as scheduled, on May 18, 1871. The first scheduled train departed from the Washington depot carrying "borough authorities,

2163-639: The Canonsburg Pottery Company, operated by the George Family, for land and clay. The Canonsburg mill site was designated in the 1978 Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act as eligible for federal funds for clean up. It was the only uranium mill east of the Mississippi River to receive funds. In a $ 48 million cleanup project, the mill site and 163 nearby properties in Canonsburg were remediated. Residual radioactivity

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2266-534: The French Reign of Terror . At Braddock's Field, there was talk of declaring independence from the United States and of joining with Spain or Great Britain. Radicals flew a specially designed flag that proclaimed their independence. The flag had six stripes, one for each county represented at the gathering: the Pennsylvania counties of Allegheny, Bedford , Fayette, Washington, and Westmoreland, and Virginia's Ohio County . Pittsburgh citizens helped to defuse

2369-560: The Mingo Creek Association dominated the convention and issued radical demands. As some of them had done in the American Revolution, they raised liberty poles , formed committees of correspondence , and took control of the local militia. They created an extralegal court and discouraged lawsuits for debt collection and foreclosures. Hamilton regarded the second Pittsburgh convention as a serious threat to

2472-471: The Mingo Creek Association. From this point on, tax collectors were not the only people targeted in Pennsylvania; those who cooperated with federal tax officials also faced harassment. Anonymous notes and newspaper articles signed by "Tom the Tinker " threatened those who complied with the whiskey tax. Those who failed to heed the warnings might have their barns burned or their stills destroyed. Resistance to

2575-458: The Mississippi River for commercial navigation. Until these issues were addressed, westerners felt that the government was ignoring their security and economic welfare. Adding the whiskey excise to these existing grievances only increased tensions on the frontier. Many residents of the western frontier petitioned against passage of the whiskey excise. When that failed, some western Pennsylvanians organized extralegal conventions to advocate repeal of

2678-604: The Third Infantry Regiment of New Jersey troops against the Whiskey Rebellion and wrote about his encounter with Washington: October 3d Marched early in the morning for Harrisburgh [ sic ], where we arrived about 12 O'clock. About 1 O'Clock recd. information of the Presidents approach on which, I had the regiment paraded, timely for his reception, & considerably to my satisfaction. Being afterwards invited to his quarters he made enquiry into

2781-485: The Union Address, Washington explained his decision to pardon Mitchell and Wigle. Hamilton and John Jay drafted the address, as they had others, before Washington made the final edit:- "The misled have abandoned their errors," he stated. "For though I shall always think it a sacred duty to exercise with firmness and energy the constitutional powers with which I am vested, yet it appears to me no less consistent with

2884-510: The Whiskey Rebellion to " local tradition ." By 1795, a "nailing business" was started at the location. In 1910, the remains of the tavern were removed to make room for the new Canonsburg High School . Whiskey Rebellion Regular army US Marshals Service The Whiskey Rebellion (also known as the Whiskey Insurrection ) was a violent tax protest in the United States beginning in 1791 and ending in 1794 during

2987-477: The angry mob to disguise himself as a slave, flee from his home and swim across the river to safety. The subsequent three-day siege of Morgantown by outsiders and townspeople led state authorities to fear that the events would influence other frontier counties to join the anti-tax movement. The resistance came to a climax in 1794. In May of that year, federal district attorney William Rawle issued subpoenas for more than 60 distillers in Pennsylvania who had not paid

3090-622: The army under the command of the Virginia Governor Henry "Lighthorse Harry" Lee , a hero of the Revolutionary War. Washington returned to Philadelphia; Hamilton remained with the army as civilian adviser. Daniel Morgan , the victor of the Battle of Cowpens during the American Revolution, was called up to lead a force to suppress the protest. It was at this time (1794) that Morgan was promoted to Major General. Serving under General "Light-Horse Harry" Lee , Morgan led one wing of

3193-526: The arrests "...   as many as 2,000 of [the rebels]...had fled into the mountains, beyond the reach of the militia. It was a great disappointment to Hamilton, who had hoped to bring rebel leaders such as David Bradford to trial in Philadelphia...and possibly see them hanged for treason . Instead, when the militia at last turned back, out of all the suspects they had seized a mere twenty were selected to serve as examples, They were at worst bit players in

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3296-620: The attention of CNN , Jay Leno , and David Letterman . Black Horse Tavern was founded in 1794, on the road between Budd's Ferry on the Youghiogheny River to McFarlen's Ferry on Monongahela River . Some sources identify the Black Horse Tavern as the birthplace of the Whiskey Rebellion . Other sources are less certain on the role of the tavern in the rebellion, ascribing the tavern's prominent role in

3399-413: The average family size was 2.88. The population distribution by age was 20.3% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 21.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.8 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $ 31,184, and

3502-539: The borough until 1953. The town is home to Sarris Candies and All-Clad Metalcrafters, makers of cookware and other bonded metals. It is adjacent to the Southpointe office park located in Cecil Township , which has a number of large corporate tenants. Yenko Chevrolet , one of largest and most notable custom muscle car shops of the late-1960s and early-1970s, was also located in Canonsburg. Canonsburg

3605-556: The circumstances of the man [an incident between an "Itinerant Person" and "an Old Soldier" mentioned earlier in the journal (p. 3)] & seemed satisfied with the information. Washington met with the western representatives in Bedford, Pennsylvania on October 9 before going to Fort Cumberland in Maryland to review the southern wing of the army. He was convinced that the federalized militia would meet little resistance, and he placed

3708-560: The city. The first surviving plat of the town is from April 15, 1788. Lots were sold around Canon's property, and the emerging town took the name of Canonsburg shortly thereafter. Many of the participants in the Whiskey Rebellion in July 1794 were residents of present-day Washington County , which includes Canonsburg. Some of the insurrectionists are believed to have gathered in the town's Black Horse Tavern. However, records do not indicate whether any Canonsburg residents participated in any of

3811-436: The committee of arrangement and reception, as well as Rankin’s Cornet Band and a number of…prominent citizens who had been invited to join the excursion." They traveled to Mansfield, where they waited for the special to arrive from Pittsburgh . The special had 12 coaches pulled by two locomotives and was filled with a large number of dignitaries, most especially the mayors of Pittsburgh and Allegheny. The special then made it down

3914-661: The country, and Washington and Hamilton believed that they were the source of civic unrest. "Historians are not yet agreed on the exact role of the societies" in the Whiskey Rebellion, wrote historian Mark Spencer in 2003, "but there was a degree of overlap between society membership and the Whiskey Rebels". Before troops could be raised, the Militia Act of 1792 required a justice of the United States Supreme Court to certify that law enforcement

4017-447: The crisis. The cabinet recommended the use of force, except for Secretary of State Edmund Randolph who urged reconciliation. Washington did both: he sent commissioners to meet with the rebels while raising a militia army. Washington privately doubted that the commissioners could accomplish anything, and believed that a military expedition would be needed to suppress further violence. For this reason, historians have sometimes charged that

4120-466: The day. The day ends with fireworks launched near Canon-McMillan Memorial Stadium. The parade is perhaps regionally best known for the long-standing tradition of enthusiasts placing chairs, benches, and beach chairs along the parade route to reserve their seats, sometimes a week or more ahead of the parade. This has caused controversy among some residents and business owners, but the tradition continues to this day. The seat saving ritual has attracted

4223-444: The debt was owed. By December 1790, Hamilton believed that import duties, which were the government's primary source of revenue, had been raised as high as feasible. He therefore promoted passage of an excise tax on domestically produced distilled spirits. This was to be the first tax levied by the national government on a domestic product. The transportation costs per gallon were higher for farmers removed from eastern urban centers, so

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4326-489: The east. There were two methods of paying the whiskey excise: paying a flat fee (per still) or paying by the gallon. Large distilleries produced whiskey in volume and could afford the flat fee. The more efficient they became, the less tax per gallon they would pay (as low as 6 cents, according to Hamilton). Western farmers who owned small stills did not typically have either enough time nor enough surplus grain to operate them year-round at full capacity, so they ended up paying

4429-584: The excise tax continued through 1793 in the frontier counties of Appalachia. Opposition remained especially strident in western Pennsylvania. In June, Neville was burned in effigy by a crowd of about 100 people in Washington County. On the night of November 22, 1793, men broke into the home of tax collector Benjamin Wells in Fayette County. Wells was, like Neville, one of the wealthier men in

4532-475: The excise tax. Under the law then in effect, distillers who received these writs would be obligated to travel to Philadelphia to appear in federal court. For farmers on the western frontier, such a journey was expensive, time-consuming, and beyond their means. At the urging of William Findley, Congress modified this law on June 5, 1794, allowing excise trials to be held in local state courts. But by that time, U.S. marshal David Lenox had already been sent to serve

4635-607: The excise was essentially an income tax that wealthier easterners did not have to pay. Many of the resisters were war veterans who believed that they were fighting for the principles of the American Revolution , in particular against taxation without local representation , while the federal government maintained that the taxes were the legal expression of Congressional taxation powers. Small-scale farmers also protested that Hamilton's excise effectively gave unfair tax breaks to large distillers, most of whom were based in

4738-555: The government remained strong in areas where poor and landless people predominated. On September 24, 1794, Washington received a recommendation from the commissioners that in their judgment, "(it was) ... necessary that the civil authority should be aided by a military force in order to secure a due execution of the laws..." On September 25, Washington issued a proclamation summoning the New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia militias into service and warned that anyone who aided

4841-420: The house and were captured by the rebels. Following some fruitless negotiations, the women and children were allowed to leave the house, and then both sides began firing. After about an hour, McFarlane called a ceasefire; according to some, a white flag had been waved in the house. As McFarlane stepped into the open, a shot rang out from the house, and he fell mortally wounded. The enraged rebels then set fire to

4944-440: The house, including the slave quarters, and Kirkpatrick surrendered. The number of casualties at Bower Hill is unclear; McFarlane and one or two other militiamen were killed; one U.S. soldier may have died from wounds received in the fight. The rebels sent the U.S. soldiers away. Kirkpatrick, Lenox, and Presley Neville were kept as prisoners, but they later escaped. McFarlane was given a hero's funeral on July 18. His "murder", as

5047-637: The indictment of 24 men for high treason . Most of the accused had eluded capture, so only ten men stood trial for treason in federal court. Of these, only Philip Wigle and John Mitchell were convicted. Wigle had beaten up a tax collector and burned his house; Mitchell was a simpleton who had been convinced by David Bradford to rob the U.S. mail. These, the only two convicted of treason and sentenced to death by hanging, were later pardoned by President Washington . Pennsylvania state courts were more successful in prosecuting lawbreakers, securing numerous convictions for assault and rioting. In his seventh State of

5150-406: The insurgents did so at their own peril. The trend was towards submission, however, and westerners dispatched representatives William Findley and David Redick to meet with Washington and to halt the progress of the oncoming army. Washington and Hamilton declined, arguing that violence was likely to re-emerge if the army turned back. Under the authority of the recently passed federal militia law,

5253-527: The killing so vigorously that he was "put under guard"). President Washington ordered the arrest of the two soldiers and had them turned over to civilian authorities. A state judge determined that the deaths had been accidental, and the soldiers were released. Washington left Philadelphia (which at that time was the capital of the United States) on September 30 to review the progress of the military expedition. According to historian Joseph Ellis , this

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5356-521: The law. Opposition to the tax was particularly prevalent in four southwestern counties: Allegheny , Fayette , Washington , and Westmoreland . A preliminary meeting held on July 27, 1791, at Redstone Old Fort in Fayette County called for the selection of delegates to a more formal assembly, which convened in Pittsburgh in early September 1791. The Pittsburgh convention was dominated by moderates such as Hugh Henry Brackenridge , who hoped to prevent

5459-588: The least objectionable tax that the government could levy. In this, he had the support of some social reformers, who hoped that a " sin tax " would raise public awareness about the harmful effects of alcohol. The whiskey excise act , sometimes known as the "Whiskey Act", became law in March 1791. George Washington defined the revenue districts, appointed the revenue supervisors and inspectors, and set their pay in November 1791. The population of Western Pennsylvania

5562-417: The median income for a family was $ 42,793. Males had a median income of $ 32,458 versus $ 22,733 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $ 17,469. About 5.8% of families and 8.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.5% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over. The Canonsburg Fourth of July Parade is a parade through Canonsburg celebrating Independence Day . It

5665-727: The militia army into Western Pennsylvania . The massive show of force brought an end to the protests without a shot being fired. After the uprising had been suppressed, Morgan commanded the remnant of the army that remained until 1795 in Pennsylvania, some 1,200 militiamen, one of whom was Meriwether Lewis . The insurrection collapsed as the federal army marched west into western Pennsylvania in October 1794. The army encountered no resistance. Upon arriving in Western Pennsylvania, Lee prepared to arrest rebel leaders. With little regard for due process, troops carried out raids on

5768-467: The mountains than the more cumbersome grain. A whiskey tax would make western farmers less competitive with eastern grain producers. Additionally, cash, which at this time consisted of specie (gold and silver coins), was always in short supply on the frontier, nevertheless the law explicitly stipulated the tax could only be paid in specie. In lieu of specie, whiskey often served as a medium of exchange , which for poorer people who were paid in whiskey meant

5871-448: The national capital was then located in the same state. On his own initiative, Hamilton drafted a presidential proclamation denouncing resistance to the excise laws and submitted it to Attorney General Randolph, who toned down some of the language. Washington signed the proclamation on September 15, 1792, and it was published as a broadsheet and printed in many newspapers. Federal tax inspector for western Pennsylvania General John Neville

5974-419: The new excise law was still unsatisfactory to many westerners. Appeals to nonviolent resistance were unsuccessful. On September 11, 1791, a recently appointed tax collector named Robert Johnson was tarred and feathered by a disguised gang in Washington County. A man sent by officials to serve court warrants to Johnson's attackers was whipped, tarred, and feathered. Because of these and other violent attacks,

6077-477: The new national government had the will and ability to suppress violent resistance to its laws, though the whiskey excise remained difficult to collect. The events contributed to the formation of political parties in the United States , a process already under way. The whiskey tax was repealed in the early 1800s during the Jefferson administration . A new U.S. federal government began operating in 1789, following

6180-431: The newly laid tracks, passing stations full of spectators to cheer on the train. Canonsburg had a large crowd of supporters, and many people climbed aboard the train to ride along to Washington. There, led by Pittsburgh's Great Western Band, the crowd marched to Town Hall for a round of speeches. The Washington Reporter editor pronounced the day "a grand success." In 1903, the Washington and Canonsburg Railway Company linked

6283-522: The night of November 13, breaking into houses and rousing suspects from their beds. No distinction was made between rebels and witnesses. Captives were driven, in their nightclothes and barefoot, over muddy roads and streams, to be held in floorless animal pens and basements. Some had their health ruined, and at least one died. The night was remembered locally as "the Dreadful Night" for years. About 150 persons were arrested. Immediately before

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6386-500: The operation of the laws of the federal government. In September 1792, he sent Pennsylvania tax official George Clymer to western Pennsylvania to investigate. Clymer only increased tensions with a clumsy attempt at traveling in disguise and attempting to intimidate local officials. His somewhat exaggerated report greatly influenced the decisions made by the Washington administration. Washington and Hamilton viewed resistance to federal laws in Pennsylvania as particularly embarrassing, since

6489-581: The outbreak of violence. The convention sent a petition for redress of grievances to the Pennsylvania Assembly and the U.S. House of Representatives, both located in Philadelphia . As a result of this and other petitions, the excise law was modified in May 1792. Changes included a 1-cent reduction in the tax that was advocated by William Findley , a congressman from western Pennsylvania, but

6592-560: The peace commission was sent only for the sake of appearances, and that the use of force was never in doubt. Historians Stanley Elkins and Eric McKitrick argued that the military expedition was "itself a part of the reconciliation process", since a show of overwhelming force would make further violence less likely. Meanwhile, Hamilton began publishing essays under the name of "Tully" in Philadelphia newspapers, denouncing mob violence in western Pennsylvania and advocating military action. Democratic-Republican Societies had been formed throughout

6695-420: The per-gallon profit was reduced disproportionately by the per-gallon tax on distillation of domestic alcohol such as whiskey. The tax applied to all distilled spirits, but consumption of American whiskey was rapidly expanding in the late 18th century, so the excise became widely known as a "whiskey tax". Taxes were politically unpopular, and Hamilton believed that the whiskey excise was a luxury tax and would be

6798-407: The population. There were 3,809 households, out of which 23.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.6% were married couples living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.0% were non-families. 34.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and

6901-448: The public good than it is with my personal feelings to mingle in the operations of Government every degree of moderation and tenderness which the national justice, dignity, and safety may permit." While violent opposition to the whiskey tax ended, opposition to the tax continued. Most distillers in nearby Kentucky were found to be all but impossible to tax—in the next six years, over 175 distillers from Kentucky were convicted of violating

7004-591: The radioactive element in the United States. When Marie Curie was invited to the United States in 27. May 1921, she was given an honorary degree by the University of Pittsburgh, and one gram of radium, Standard Chemical Company provided it to her. United States Radium Corporation Canonsburg Canonsburg is a borough in Washington County, Pennsylvania , United States, 18 miles (29 km) southwest of Pittsburgh . The population

7107-624: The ratification of the United States Constitution. The previous central government under the Articles of Confederation had been unable to levy taxes; it had borrowed money to meet expenses and fund the Revolutionary War, accumulating $ 54 million in debt. The state governments had amassed an additional $ 25 million in debt. Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton sought to use this debt to create

7210-429: The rebels saw it, further radicalized the countryside. Moderates such as Brackenridge were hard-pressed to restrain the populace. Radical leaders emerged, such as David Bradford , urging violent resistance. On July 26, a group headed by Bradford robbed the U.S. mail as it left Pittsburgh, hoping to discover who in that town opposed them and finding several letters that condemned the rebels. Bradford and his band called for

7313-541: The rebels, while at the same time calling on governors to send a militia force to enforce the tax. Washington himself rode at the head of an army to suppress the insurgency, with 13,000 militiamen provided by the governors of Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The leaders of the rebels all fled before the arrival of the army, and there was no confrontation. About 150 men were arrested, but only 20 held for trial in Philadelphia, and only two were convicted (eventually pardoned). The Whiskey Rebellion demonstrated that

7416-522: The region. At gunpoint, the intruders forced him to surrender his commission. President Washington offered a reward for the arrest of the assailants, to no avail. In addition to the unrest in Fayette county, on August 9, 1794, 30 men surrounded the house of William McCleery, the local tax collector in Morgantown, Virginia , as retaliation for the new whiskey taxes. McCleery felt threatened enough by

7519-644: The scenes of armed draft resistance. In Maryland, Governor Thomas Sim Lee sent 800 men to quash an anti-draft riot in Hagerstown ; about 150 people were arrested. Liberty poles were raised in various places as the militia was recruited, worrying federal officials. A liberty pole was raised in Carlisle, Pennsylvania on September 11, 1794. The federalized militia arrived in that town later that month and rounded up suspected pole-raisers. Two civilians were killed in these operations. On September 29, an unarmed boy

7622-609: The six counties, held at Parkinson's Ferry (now known as Whiskey Point) in present-day Monongahela . The convention considered resolutions that were drafted by Brackenridge, Gallatin, David Bradford, and an eccentric preacher named Herman Husband , a delegate from Bedford County. Husband was a well-known local figure and a radical champion of democracy who had taken part in the Regulator movement in North Carolina 25 years earlier. The Parkinson's Ferry convention also appointed

7725-562: The state militias were called up by the governors of New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. The federalized militia force of 12,950 men was a large army by American standards of the time, comparable to Washington's armies during the Revolution. Relatively few men volunteered for militia service, so a draft was used to fill out the ranks. Draft evasion was widespread, and conscription efforts resulted in protests and riots, even in eastern areas. Three counties in eastern Virginia were

7828-477: The surrender of the federal marshal, whom they believed to be inside. Neville responded by firing a gunshot that mortally wounded Oliver Miller, one of the rebels. The rebels opened fire but were unable to dislodge Neville, who had his slaves' help to defend the house. The rebels retreated to nearby Couch's Fort to gather reinforcements. The next day, the rebels returned to Bower Hill. Their force had swelled to nearly 600 men, now commanded by Major James McFarlane,

7931-575: The tax law. Numerous examples of resistance are recorded in court documents and newspaper accounts. Opponents of internal taxes rallied around the candidacy of Thomas Jefferson and helped him defeat President John Adams in the election of 1800 . By 1802, Congress repealed the distilled spirits excise tax and all other internal Federal taxes. Until the War of 1812 , the Federal government would rely solely on import tariffs for revenue, which quickly grew with

8034-489: The tax went uncollected in 1791 and early 1792. The attackers modeled their actions on the protests of the American Revolution . Supporters of the excise argued that there was a difference between taxation without representation in colonial America, and a tax laid by the elected representatives of the American people. Older accounts of the Whiskey Rebellion portrayed it as being confined to western Pennsylvania, yet there

8137-505: The tax. Throughout western Pennsylvania counties, protesters used violence and intimidation to prevent federal officials from collecting the tax. Resistance came to a climax in July 1794, when a US marshal arrived in western Pennsylvania to serve writs to distillers who had not paid the excise. The alarm was raised, and more than 500 armed men attacked the fortified home of tax inspector John Neville . Washington responded by sending peace commissioners to western Pennsylvania to negotiate with

8240-414: The threat by banishing three men whose intercepted letters had given offense to the rebels, and by sending a delegation to Braddock's Field that expressed support for the gathering. Brackenridge prevailed upon the crowd to limit the protest to a defiant march through the town. In Pittsburgh, Major Kirkpatrick's barns were burned, but nothing else. A convention was held on August 14, 226 whiskey rebels from

8343-426: The treasury secretary had deliberately provoked the uprising by issuing the subpoenas just before the law was made less onerous. In 1963, historian Jacob Cooke, an editor of Hamilton's papers, regarded this charge as "preposterous", calling it a "conspiracy thesis" that overstated Hamilton's control of the federal government. In 1986, historian Thomas Slaughter argued that the outbreak of the insurrection at this moment

8446-636: The two towns with a trolley line. The company was bought by the Philadelphia Company in 1906, later becoming part of the Pittsburgh Railway Company , linking through to Pittsburgh as part of their interurban service in 1909. The line closed on August 29, 1953, with the last three trolley cars travelling south through Canonsburg to the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum in 1954 shortly before the track

8549-515: The uprising, but they were better than nothing." The captured participants and the Federal militia arrived in Philadelphia on Christmas Day. Some artillery was fired and church bells were heard as "...    a huge throng lined Broad Street to cheer the troops and mock the rebels ... [Presley] Neville said he 'could not help feeling sorry for them. The captured rebels were paraded down Broad Street being 'humiliated, bedraggled, [and] half-starved    ...' " Other accounts describe

8652-467: The uranium ore from Vitro and used it in the Manhattan Project . Waste from incomplete extraction and other metallurgical processes accumulated during the site's long history. About 11,600 tons of mill tailings were moved to railroad property near Blairsville between 1956 and 1957. After the closure of Vitro, the site was used by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission . The site was then used by

8755-527: The violent acts which occurred during the rebellion. The town was the site of the first institution of higher learning west of the Allegheny Mountains , Jefferson College. Founded in 1802, it was the eleventh such institution in the United States. The Phi Gamma Delta and Phi Kappa Psi fraternities were both founded at Jefferson College. Phi Gamma Delta, of whom President Calvin Coolidge

8858-490: The west, all of them Pennsylvanians: Attorney General William Bradford , Justice Jasper Yeates of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, and Senator James Ross . Beginning on August 21, the commissioners met with a committee of westerners that included Brackenridge and Gallatin. The government commissioners told the committee that it must unanimously agree to renounce violence and submit to U.S. laws and that

8961-466: The whiskey tax. Some of the most radical protesters wanted to march on Pittsburgh, which they called " Sodom ", loot the homes of the wealthy, and then burn the town to the ground. Others wanted to attack Fort Fayette . There was praise for the French Revolution and calls for bringing the guillotine to America. David Bradford, it was said, was comparing himself to Robespierre , a leader of

9064-419: The writs summoning delinquent distillers to Philadelphia. Attorney General William Bradford later maintained that the writs were meant to compel compliance with the law, and that the government did not actually intend to hold trials in Philadelphia. The timing of these events later proved to be controversial. Findley was a bitter political foe of Hamilton, and he maintained in his book on the insurrection that

9167-498: Was "the first and only time a sitting American president led troops in the field". Along the way he traveled to Reading, Pennsylvania on his way to meet up with the rest of the militia he ordered mobilized at Carlisle . On the second of October, Washington left Reading, Pennsylvania heading west to Womelsdorf in order to "view the ( Schuylkill and Susquehanna Navigation Company ) canal...". Revolutionary war and Siege of Yorktown veteran, Colonel Jonathan Forman (1755–1809) led

9270-401: Was 3,703.5 inhabitants per square mile (1,429.9/km ). There were 4,144 housing units at an average density of 1,783.1 per square mile (688.5/km ). The racial makeup of the borough was 91.01% White , 6.53% African American , 0.06% Native American , 0.64% Asian , 0.08% Pacific Islander , 0.19% from other races , and 1.50% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.72% of

9373-508: Was 75,000 in 1790. Among the farmers in the region, the whiskey excise was immediately controversial, with many people on the frontier arguing that it unfairly targeted westerners. Whiskey was a popular drink, and farmers often supplemented their incomes by operating small stills . Farmers living west of the Appalachian Mountains distilled their excess grain into whiskey, which was easier and more profitable to transport over

9476-488: Was 9,735 at the 2020 census. Canonsburg was laid out by Colonel John Canon in 1789 and incorporated in 1802. The town lies in a rich coal district, and most of the town's work force once worked in local steel mills or coal mines . Interstate 79 and U.S. Route 19 pass through the town, as does the Pittsburgh and Ohio Central Railroad . A trolley used to operate from Washington, Pennsylvania to Pittsburgh through

9579-484: Was a member, was founded in 1848. Phi Kappa Psi, of whom President Woodrow Wilson and over 100 U.S. Congressmen claim membership, was founded in 1852. The school would go on to become Washington & Jefferson College in nearby Washington. For generations, Jefferson College financially supported Canonsburg by accounting for much of its income. In 1868, however, the college was moved to nearby Washington, leaving behind empty college rooming and boarding houses, known as

9682-472: Was beyond the control of local authorities. On August 4, 1794, Justice James Wilson delivered his opinion that western Pennsylvania was in a state of rebellion. On August 7, Washington issued a presidential proclamation announcing, with "the deepest regret", that the militia would be called out to suppress the rebellion. He commanded insurgents in western Pennsylvania to disperse by September 1. In early August 1794, Washington dispatched three commissioners to

9785-406: Was consolidated into a covered, clay-lined cell at the Canonsburg mill site, which is fenced and posted. Canonsburg is located at 40°15′43″N 80°11′6″W  /  40.26194°N 80.18500°W  / 40.26194; -80.18500 (40.262012, −80.185030). According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the borough has a total area of 2.3 square miles (6.0 km ), all land. Canonsburg Lake ,

9888-401: Was determined to enforce the excise law. He was a prominent politician and wealthy planter—and also a large-scale distiller. He had initially opposed the whiskey tax, but subsequently changed his mind, a reversal that angered some western Pennsylvanians. In August 1792, Neville rented a room in Pittsburgh for his tax office, but the landlord turned him out after being threatened with violence by

9991-446: Was due to "a string of ironic coincidences", although "the question about motives must always remain". In 2006, William Hogeland, who is generally critical of Hamilton's role in American history, argued that Hamilton, Bradford, and Rawle intentionally pursued a course of action that would provoke "the kind of violence that would justify federal military suppression". Hogeland claimed that Hamilton had been working towards this moment since

10094-504: Was in Philadelphia, some 300 miles (480 km) away from the small frontier settlement of Pittsburgh. From the beginning, the federal government had little success in collecting the whiskey tax along the frontier. Many small western distillers simply refused to pay the tax. Federal revenue officers and local residents who assisted them bore the brunt of the protesters' ire. Tax rebels harassed several whiskey tax collectors and threatened or beat those who offered them office space or housing. As

10197-500: Was insufficient evidence to legally justify such a reaction. In August 1792, a second convention was held in Pittsburgh to discuss resistance to the whiskey tax. This meeting was more radical than the first convention; moderates such as Brackenridge and Findley were not in attendance. Future Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin was one moderate who did attend, to his later regret. A militant group known as

10300-519: Was joined on his rounds by General Neville, who had offered to act as his guide in Allegheny County. That evening, warning shots were fired at the men at the Miller farm , about 10 mi (16 km) south of Pittsburgh. Neville returned home while Lenox retreated to Pittsburgh. On July 16, at least 30 Mingo Creek militiamen surrounded Neville's fortified home of Bower Hill. They demanded

10403-530: Was opposition to the whiskey tax in the western counties of every other state in Appalachia (Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia). The whiskey tax went uncollected throughout the frontier state of Kentucky, where no one could be convinced to enforce the law or prosecute evaders. In 1792, Hamilton advocated military action to suppress violent resistance in western North Carolina, but Attorney General Edmund Randolph argued that there

10506-568: Was removed. In 1911, South Canonsburg was annexed . On August 26, 1911, 26 people were killed in the Canonsburg Opera House disaster . A false shout of "fire" triggered a panic that killed twenty-six people. The Canonsburg Armory , Hawthorne School and Roberts House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places . The Standard Chemical Company operated a radium refining mill from 1911 to 1922 on

10609-478: Was shot by an officer whose pistol accidentally fired. Two days later, an "Itinerant Person" was "Bayoneted" to death by a soldier while resisting arrest (the man had tried to wrest the rifle from the soldier he confronted; it is possible he had been a member of a 500-strong Irish work crew nearby who were "digging, a canal into the Sculkill" [ sic ]; at least one of that work gang's members protested

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