### February 16 On February 16, 1784, I had the opportunity to meet with George Washington at Morristown, New Jersey. The purpose of our meeting was to discuss the economy and the future of the newly formed nation. At one point during our conversation, Washington jokingly asked if I {{**had a plan**}} to make the United States rich overnight. To which I replied that I did indeed have a plan! My plan was to have the United States tax whiskey, which turned out to be quite successful. In fact, it became known as the "Whiskey Tax" and helped the government to bring in additional revenue. This was an important step for the new nation, and I felt proud to be able to make such a contribution. I guess you could say I was the founding father of American taxation!