S06E08: Fries’ Hot Water Rebellion: John Adams and the End of Big Government in Early America

In 1798 the American nation was embroiled in partisan conflict. With total control of the government, President John Adams and his Federalist Congress prepared for war with France. As part of their planning, the Adams Administration proposed a radical series of new laws including a “House Tax” that stirred resentment throughout the country. One of these groups was Pennsylvania’s vast German minority, and their animosity boiled over into a rebellion just a few miles from the capital city of Philadelphia.  On this episode we discuss Fries “Hot Water” Rebellion of 1798.