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Why did the farmers convert their crops into whiskey?
An even bigger factor in whiskey’s rise, he says, was as Americans migrated westward, they had access to more land to grow more corn. “Surplus corn would rot, unless it was preserved by turning it into whiskey,” Rorabaugh says. A whiskey boom was born and soon farmers were shipping crates of it East for cash.
What did backcountry farmers grow and make whiskey out of as it was easier to haul?
The farmers raised grains like rye, corn, and wheat. Further, a horse and wagon could only haul two bushels of grain at a time, but could haul two barrels of whiskey, which was equal to 24 bushels of grain. Another issue for the farmers was that they had very little cash.
What product did backcountry farmers grow to help them make whiskey?
The corn varieties—called Indian corn by most—developed by the first peoples were perfect for the climate and rich in taste and carbohydrates, which made for higher alcohol content per bushel and a sweeter product.
Who brought American whiskey?
Early Dutch settlers to New York, then Fort Amsterdam, brought with them the traditions surrounding genever (an early form of gin) production brandies that were made using a process of distilling that involved freezing cider, and New York had 16 rum distilleries within the city by 1720, who mostly smuggled their …
How did farmers make whiskey?
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 the tax. In these regions, whiskey often served as a medium of exchange.
How did the Revolutionary War affect farmers?
Trade routes to market were cut off by war, either water ways or roads. Farmers could not plant surpluses because they might not be able to sell the excess and it would just rot on their fields. Herds of cattle and horses were depleted either by the plundering of the British or as provisions for the Continental Army.
Did farmers support the American Revolution?
Many farmers supplied the Continental Army, the army formed by the colonists for their fight for independence from Britain. Some farmers were Loyalists (persons supporting the British king) and therefore supplied the British army.
Can whiskey be made all over the world?
World whiskies. Scotland is the biggest producer of whisky in the world, and has been for at least 100 years. But while Scotland is synonymous with whisky, it isn’t the only country to produce it. Overseas, Japan is the only other major whisky-making country to have adopted the same single malt-blended whisky model.
Is whiskey Irish or Scottish?
The word whisky (or whiskey) is an anglicisation of the Classical Gaelic word uisce (or uisge) meaning “water” (now written as uisce in Modern Irish, and uisge in Scottish Gaelic). This Gaelic word shares its ultimate origins with Germanic water and Slavic voda of the same meaning.
What was the cause of the Whiskey Rebellion?
Whiskey Rebellion. The Whiskey Rebellion was a 1794 uprising of farmers and distillers in western Pennsylvania in protest of a whiskey tax enacted by the federal government. Following years of aggression with tax collectors, the region finally exploded in a confrontation that had President Washington respond by sending troops to quell…
How did the making of whiskey affect the US?
And at times, the reverse is true–whiskey has affected the nation itself. Whiskey-making was one of the first cottage industries in the land; it was responsible for George Washington mustering federal troops for the first time, and whiskey went with the early pioneers as they traveled westward to explore new territories.
What kind of stills did Scottish farmers use?
Stills had been commonplace on Scottish farms since the mid-1500s, usually little more than barrel-size (or smaller) enclosed copper pots with a metal pipe that emerged from the top and coiled down to a receptacle that caught the condensed spirit.
Who was in charge of whiskey during the American Revolution?
During the American Revolution, individual states incurred significant debt. In 1790 Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton pushed for the federal government to take over that debt. He also suggested an excise tax on whiskey to prevent further financial difficulty. President George Washington was opposed to Hamilton’s suggestion of a whiskey tax.