Final answer:
Alexander Hamilton, as Secretary of the Treasury, proposed the whiskey tax as part of his financial program and initially responded to objections by lowering the tax. However, when protests escalated, the government, supported by President Washington, formed a militia to assert federal power and maintain the authority to impose and enforce taxes.
Step-by-step explanation:
Hamilton's Response to the Whiskey Tax Objectors
The period following the imposition of the whiskey tax was fraught with conflict and resistance, particularly from western Pennsylvania farmers who relied on distilled spirits for economic survival. What was Hamilton's response to the whiskey tax objectors? As the Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton was instrumental in proposing the excise tax on distilled spirits as part of his financial program to stabilize the economy. However, many people, particularly in regions removed from eastern commerce centers, staunchly opposed the tax and went to lengths such as tar and feathering tax collectors and even intimidating those who complied with the tax laws.
Alexander Hamilton and the federal government's response to these protests was initially to lower the tax in an attempt to quell the unrest. Yet, when the resistance continued, the government took a more forceful stand. In response to attempts to attack federal officials and intimidate supporters of the tax, President Washington, with Hamilton's support, assembled a sizable militia to suppress the rebellion, thus affirming the authority of the national government.
This show of force ultimately conveyed to the domestic audience, as well as watching European powers, that the United States would assert its sovereignty and the right to impose and collect taxes. Statements like "Shall the majority govern or be governed?" from Hamilton highlight the fundamental debate about the extent of government power and authority over the citizenry during this test of the young nation's federal system.