The Rum Rebellion

The Rum Rebellion of 1808 was Australia's only major military uprising, where the New South Wales Corps, a British army unit, overthrew Governor William Bligh. The rebellion was driven by tensions over the control of trade, especially the illegal alcohol trade involving rum, which was used as currency. The soldiers, unhappy with Bligh's strict policies and attempts to regulate alcohol, seized power and deposed him. The rebellion highlights early conflicts over governance, colonial authority, and economic practices in Australia’s colonial history. It was eventually resolved, and Bligh was restored, but it remains a significant event illustrating colonial tensions.