John Fries's Rebellion, also called the House Tax Rebellion and the Home Tax Rebellion, was an armed tax revolt among Pennsylvania Dutch farmers between 1799 and 1800.
Fries's Rebellion was the third of three tax-related rebellions in the 18th Century United States, the earlier two being Shays' Rebellion and the Whiskey Rebellion.
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When the Quasi-War with France threatened to escalate in 1798, Congress raised a large army and enlarged the navy. To pay for it, Congress in July 1798 imposed $2 million in new taxes on real estate and slaves, apportioned among the states according to the requirements of the Constitution. It was the first (and last) such federal tax.
Congress had also recently passed the Alien and Sedition Acts, criminalizing dissent and increasing the power of the executive branch under John Adams.
John Fries (1750-1818) was born in Hatfield township, Pennsylvania in about 1750. His father was a Welsh immigrant. He trained as a cooper but eventually took a career as an auctioneer, and learned to speak fluent German in addition to his native English. He married Margaret Brunner in 1770, and they had ten children.[1] At the time of the rebellion, he was living near Charlestown.
He served in the Continental Army during the American Revolution, commanding a company. He was in action at White Marsh, Camp Hill, and Crooked Billet. He later also commanded a company in the government's campaign to suppress the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794.[2]
He was locally famous for having defeated a foraging raid by the British during the American Revolution.[1]
As an itinerant auctioneer, Fries became well acquainted with the German-Americans in the southeastern part of Pennsylvania. In July 1798, during the troubles between the United States and France now known as the Quasi-War, the US Congress levied a direct tax (on dwelling-houses, lands and slaves; sometimes called the Direct House Tax of 1798) of $2 million, of which Pennsylvania was called upon to contribute $237,000.
There were very few slaves in Pennsylvania, and the tax was accordingly assessed upon dwelling-houses and land, the value of the houses being determined by the number and size of the windows. The inquisitorial nature of the proceedings, with assessors riding around and counting windows, aroused strong opposition, and many refused to pay, making the constitutional argument that this tax was not being levied in proportion to population.
Fries organized meetings, starting in February 1799, to discuss a collective response to the tax. Many advocated tax resistance. In Milford township, particularly, assessors were unsuccessful in completing their tax assessments due to intimidation. At a meeting called by government representatives in an attempt to explain the tax in a way as to defuse tensions, protesters waving liberty flags, some armed and in Continental Army uniforms, shouted them down and turned the meeting into a protest rally.
The assessors at first determined to continue their work in Milford. Fries personally warned the assessors to quit their work, but they ignored the threat. He then led a small armed band that harassed the assessors enough that they decided to abandon Milford for the time being.
In early March, a local militia company and a growing force of armed irregulars met, marching to the accompaniment of drum and fife. About a hundred set off for Quakertown in pursuit of the assessors, whom they intended to place under arrest.[3]
They captured a number of assessors there, releasing them with a warning not to return and to tell the government what had happened to them.[4]
Opposition to the tax spread to other parts of Pennsylvania. In Penn, the appointed assessor resigned under public threats; the assessors in Hamilton and Northampton also begged to resign, but were refused as nobody else could be found to take their places.[5]
Federal warrants were issued, and the U.S. Marshal began arresting people for tax resistance in Northampton. Arrests were made without much incident until the Marshal reached Millarstown, where a crowd formed to protect a man from arrest. Failing to make that arrest, the Marshal made a few others and returned to Bethlehem with his prisoners.
Two separate groups of rebels independently vowed to liberate the prisoners, and marched on Bethlehem.[6]
The militia prevailed and Fries and other leaders were arrested.
Thirty men went on trial in Federal court. Fries and two others were tried for treason and, with Federalists stirring up a frenzy, were sentenced to be hanged.
President John Adams pardoned Fries and others convicted of treason. Adams was prompted by the narrower constitutional definition of treason, and he later added that the rebels were 'as ignorant of our language as they were of our laws' and were being used by 'great men' in the opposition party. He issued a general amnesty for everyone involved on May 21, 1800.[7]
Historians are agreed that the Federalists overreacted and mishandled a small episode. The long-term impact was that the German American communities rejected the Federalist Party.
After his reprieve, Fries continued his auctioneering career.[1] Some sources report that he became a prosperous merchant of tin ware in Philadelphia,[8][9] but Thomas Denton McCormick states there is no evidence to back this story, and also says he just continued his auctioneering career.[10] Fries died at his home south of Trumbauersville, Pennsylvania in 1818. A segment of PA Route 663 near Trumbauersville is named in his honor.[11]
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