The Whiskey Rebels
Encyclopedia
The Whiskey Rebels is an historical novel
by American writer David Liss
, inspired by events in the early history of the United States
. According to Liss (from the 'Historical Note' following the novel), "This novel, in many respects, details the events that led up to the Whiskey Rebellion
of 1794".
of 1794; it is set mainly in the preceding years from 1788 to 1792. Two main fictional characters, Ethan Saunders and Joan Maycott, offer first-person narratives that begin separately, in alternating chapters, and gradually come together for the climactic scenes. The reader first meets Ethan Saunders in 1792 Philadelphia, the temporary capital of the newly formed United States of America. Saunders is a disgraced former spy for General Washington during The American Revolution, now a drunkard and scoundrel but still seeking redemption.
Joan Maycott's autobiography begins at the age of seventeen near Albany, New York
in 1781. Her life takes her to New York City
and out to the frontier town of Pittsburgh, in Western Pennsylvania
. After many travails, she returns to New York City and on to Philadelphia, where she eventually meets Saunders. Along the way, we learn about the duplicity of speculators like William Duer, the hardships of life in the western wilderness and the use of whiskey as a form of frontier currency. We learn why the western pioneers hated the Bank of the United States
, the Whiskey tax, and Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton
, creator of both. This hatred gives birth to an audacious secret plan to (as Joan sees it) free the new nation from the corrupting influence of the financiers and speculators of the cities, and return to the republican purity intended by the founders. The climactic events take place against the historical backdrop of Duer's attempt to take over the national bank, which led to the Panic of 1792
.
The fictional Ethan and Joan meet many historical characters in addition to Duer and Hamilton, including frontier champion Hugh Henry Brackenridge
, Jeffersonian journalist Philip Freneau, wealthy socialite Anne Bingham, Hamilton blackmailer James Reynolds, his seductive wife Maria
and Senator (at that time) Aaron Burr
.
Historical novel
According to Encyclopædia Britannica, a historical novel is-Development:An early example of historical prose fiction is Luó Guànzhōng's 14th century Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which covers one of the most important periods of Chinese history and left a lasting impact on Chinese culture.The...
by American writer David Liss
David Liss
David Liss is an American writer of novels, essays and short fiction; more recently working also in comic books. He was born in New Jersey and grew up in South Florida. Liss received his B. A. degree from Syracuse University, an M. A. from Georgia State University and his M. Phil from Columbia...
, inspired by events in the early history of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. According to Liss (from the 'Historical Note' following the novel), "This novel, in many respects, details the events that led up to the Whiskey Rebellion
Whiskey Rebellion
The Whiskey Rebellion, or Whiskey Insurrection, was a tax protest in the United States in the 1790s, during the presidency of George Washington. Farmers who sold their corn in the form of whiskey had to pay a new tax which they strongly resented...
of 1794".
Synopsis
Despite the title, the novel's action does not include the Whiskey RebellionWhiskey Rebellion
The Whiskey Rebellion, or Whiskey Insurrection, was a tax protest in the United States in the 1790s, during the presidency of George Washington. Farmers who sold their corn in the form of whiskey had to pay a new tax which they strongly resented...
of 1794; it is set mainly in the preceding years from 1788 to 1792. Two main fictional characters, Ethan Saunders and Joan Maycott, offer first-person narratives that begin separately, in alternating chapters, and gradually come together for the climactic scenes. The reader first meets Ethan Saunders in 1792 Philadelphia, the temporary capital of the newly formed United States of America. Saunders is a disgraced former spy for General Washington during The American Revolution, now a drunkard and scoundrel but still seeking redemption.
Joan Maycott's autobiography begins at the age of seventeen near Albany, New York
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
in 1781. Her life takes her to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and out to the frontier town of Pittsburgh, in Western Pennsylvania
Western Pennsylvania
Western Pennsylvania consists of the western third of the state of Pennsylvania in the United States. Pittsburgh is the largest city in the region, with a metropolitan area population of about 2.4 million people, and serves as its economic and cultural center. Erie, Altoona, and Johnstown are its...
. After many travails, she returns to New York City and on to Philadelphia, where she eventually meets Saunders. Along the way, we learn about the duplicity of speculators like William Duer, the hardships of life in the western wilderness and the use of whiskey as a form of frontier currency. We learn why the western pioneers hated the Bank of the United States
First Bank of the United States
The First Bank of the United States is a National Historic Landmark located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania within Independence National Historical Park.-Banking History:...
, the Whiskey tax, and Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton was a Founding Father, soldier, economist, political philosopher, one of America's first constitutional lawyers and the first United States Secretary of the Treasury...
, creator of both. This hatred gives birth to an audacious secret plan to (as Joan sees it) free the new nation from the corrupting influence of the financiers and speculators of the cities, and return to the republican purity intended by the founders. The climactic events take place against the historical backdrop of Duer's attempt to take over the national bank, which led to the Panic of 1792
Panic of 1792
The Panic of 1792 was a financial credit crisis that occurred during March and April of 1792 due to the speculation of William Duer and Alexander Macomb against stock held by the Bank of New York. While Duer attempted to drive the price of stocks up, the Livingston family attempted to drive the...
.
The fictional Ethan and Joan meet many historical characters in addition to Duer and Hamilton, including frontier champion Hugh Henry Brackenridge
Hugh Henry Brackenridge
Hugh Henry Brackenridge was an American writer, lawyer, judge, and justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.A frontier citizen in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, he founded both the Pittsburgh Academy, now the University of Pittsburgh, and the Pittsburgh Gazette, still operating today as the...
, Jeffersonian journalist Philip Freneau, wealthy socialite Anne Bingham, Hamilton blackmailer James Reynolds, his seductive wife Maria
Maria Reynolds
Maria Lewis Reynolds is best known as the mistress of Alexander Hamilton and wife of James Reynolds, and she played a central role in one of the first sex scandals in American political history.-History:...
and Senator (at that time) Aaron Burr
Aaron Burr
Aaron Burr, Jr. was an important political figure in the early history of the United States of America. After serving as a Continental Army officer in the Revolutionary War, Burr became a successful lawyer and politician...
.
Awards and nominations
- Nominated for the Sue Feder Memorial Historical Mystery award for 2009. Macavity Awards (accessed 08-2010)
External links
- David Liss website http://davidliss.com/
- David Liss page at Random House website http://www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=17799
- Distillation Without Taxation, By Walter Olson. New York Times book review, February 6, 2009.http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/08/books/review/Olson-t.html?_r=2&scp=1&sq=david%20liss&st=cse (accessed 08-2010)
- Period Pieces, a letter to the editor (in response to Olson's review) by David Liss. New York Times, February 20, 2009.http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/22/books/review/Letters-t-PERIODPIECES_LETTERS.html?ref=review (accessed 08-2010)
See also
Novels that include events of the Whiskey Rebellion:- Wilderness BoyWilderness BoyWilderness Boy is an historical, young-adult novel by the American writer Margery Evernden.It is set in 1794 in Washington County, Pennsylvania, just south of Pittsburgh, it tells the story of sixteen-year-old Jonathon Garrett, who while on an errand for his frontier doctor uncle, is accosted by...
(1955) - The Delectable CountryThe Delectable CountryThe Delectable Country is an historical novel by the American writer Leland Baldwin set in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.The Whiskey Rebellion is brewing in the 1790s as protagonist David Braddee, aged nineteen, pilots his foster father's keelboat to a difficult landing at the frontier town of...
(1939) - The LatimersThe LatimersThe Latimers : A Tale of the Western Insurrection of 1794 is an historical novel by the American writer and Presbyterian clergyman Henry Christopher McCook set in 1790s Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania....
(1898)