 By 1794, Bradford had become a prominent figure in the Whiskey Rebellion, an insurrection that was caused, in part, by the lack of federal courts (which necessitated trips to Philadelphia for trial), large numbers of absentee landlords, conflicts with American Indians, and, most importantly, the high excise tax on whiskey.President George Washington ordered 13,000 troops to the Washington, Pennsylvania area as the first test of the power of the new government.When the militias arrived in Parkison's Ferry (now Monongahela, Pennsylvania), they began arresting suspected rebels.