While freedom of assembly and the right to petition are protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, the federal government of the United States has had a history of using the military to violently quash rebellions and other forms of civil unrest. Examples of the federal military being used in this capacity include its role in putting down the Whiskey Rebellion, Fries' Rebellion, the Dorr Rebellion, and John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry. In the late 19th century, federal troops were increasingly used to quell labor disputes. Between 1885 and 1895, federal forces were mobilized 328 times; 118 of these instances involved labor disputes. Lack of instruction at the federal level in several labor disputes left states and local governments to effectively handle these issues on their own.
