John Fries Rebellion In July of 1798, Congress passed a tax on property. Assessors would determine the tax based on the size of the property, including counting windows. This was no easy task, especially in Pennsylvania, where people would pour hot water on the assessors and destroy their files. One particularly intimidating militia, led by John Fries, would drive assessors away by threats. In 1799, about 20 of these militiamen were arrested and held at Sun Tavern in Bethlehem. Fries and 100 armed men marched to Sun Tavern and demanded their freedom. Instead, 45 men in Fries’ band, including Fries himself, were arrested and charged with treason, for attempting to overthrow the government.

When and where did this happen? What was going on in this time?

Miller, John Chester. Crisis in freedom: the Alien and Sedition Acts. Boston: Little, Brown, 1951. [Td .271 M6483]

Davis, W. W. H. The Fries Rebellion, 1798-1799: an armed resistance to the House tax law, passed by Congress, July 9, 1798, in Bucks and Northampton Counties, PA. Doylestown, Pennsylvania: 1899. [Vb.685].

What were the rebels taking a stand against? Why did they rebel?Adam Boyd Hamilton research notes on Fries Rebellion, circa 1844 [HSP Misc. Collection #0425]

Rawle Family Papers [536]

Chester County miscellaneous government papers [0123]

MacPherson Family Correspondence (1766-1855) [1688]

William Watts Hart Davis Papers [1837]

Questions to consider: What other perspectives were there about this event? How do these views conflict with each other? How did the stand Fries took change the future?

The Two Trials of John Fries [DigitalLibrary Record 12468]