Tax rebellions do not occur in a social vacuum. Taxation offers a blueprint, in symbolic and concrete terms, for uncovering the fundamental structures of social, economic, and political life. This research will further understandings of how the legacies of past social hierarchies contribute to contemporary tax debates.
Utilizing ethnographic content analysis of archival data collected from historical societies and libraries, this project examines three case studies of rebellions against property taxes. Particular attention is placed on the relationship between changing social structures and property tax revolts in the United States. Primary data will be collected from a wide variety of documentary and media sources and analyzed with qualitative analytic computer software to test the central tenets of relevant theories.
