You are welcome. I taught American history briefly and the Whiskey Rebellion is taught as the first instance of the federal government asserting its authority over popular resistance. It's exactly as you say. This was a turning point. The history of the country could have gone either way. If the federal government hadn't been able to stand up to popular rebellion, it (the government) would not have held together. If it had not held--if the country had fragmented into separate, individual factions, then foreign powers that were eager to take over would have come in. We would not have been a country. There would not be a USA today. However, in asserting that power, the government was on the path to taking away rights. I think that's one of the reasons people kept moving West. It wasn't always for land and opportunity. I think it was sometimes in search of a place where the government could not go.