Taxation

Revenue Act of 1935 Enacts "Wealth Tax" on Highest Incomes

1935-08-30 00:00:00 +0000 UTC | Importance: 8/10

President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Revenue Act of 1935 (49 Stat. 1014) into law on August 30, 1935, over strong opposition from business, the wealthy, and conservatives from both parties, introducing the “Wealth Tax” as the first major New Deal effort to reform federal taxation …

Franklin D. Roosevelt John D. Rockefeller Business Community Democratic Party taxation new-deal wealth-redistribution progressive-taxation regulatory-victory +1 more

16th Amendment Ratified: Federal Income Tax Established to Shift Burden from Middle Class to Wealthy

1913-02-03 00:00:00 +0000 UTC | Importance: 9/10

Delaware became the 36th state to ratify the 16th Amendment, meeting the three-fourths requirement to establish Congress’s right to impose a federal income tax. Secretary of State Philander C. Knox certified the amendment on February 25, 1913. The amendment was part of a wave of Progressive …

Delaware State Legislature Philander C. Knox U.S. Congress Progressive Movement progressive-era taxation economic-reform constitutional-amendment

Whiskey Rebellion Establishes Federal Power to Suppress Domestic Dissent with Military Force

1794-08-07 00:00:00 +0000 UTC | Importance: 8/10

President George Washington issues a proclamation declaring western Pennsylvania whiskey protests to be treasonous acts that amount to “levying war against the United States,” establishing the precedent for federal military suppression of domestic economic dissent. The crisis stems from …

George Washington Alexander Hamilton Western Pennsylvania farmers U.S. Militia federal-power taxation military-force class-conflict democratic-resistance