The Whiskey Rebellion was considered the first big test for the federal government because it was a result of the first tax put on the American people after creating the US Constitution. This was implemented by the federal government (under President Washington) in order to pay for the war debt generated by the American Revolution. One of the reasons why this was a big test was because the reason America initially rebelled against the British was because of their tax policies. The Whiskey Rebellion provided a challenge to the government, as the way they responded to this revolt would set the tone for how the federal government would respond to a crisis situation.