He was born in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, the son of Simon Fries, variously described as having been of Welsh, German, and Danish descent. He became a cooper's apprentice at an early age, but afterward abandoned the craft to become an itinerant auctioneer.
In 1775 he moved to Bucks County, where he served as captain of a militia company in the Revolution and in the Whiskey Insurrection. Between times, accompanied by his dog, Whiskey, he presided at country-store vendues, where he was easily distinguishable by his shrewd but uncultured mind, ready wit, and fluency of speech in both English and German.
He seems to have been largely responsible for the opposition to the direct federal property tax established by the acts of July 9 and 14, 1798, in anticipation of a war with France.
He was present at a meeting held at John Kline's tavern in February 1799, assisted in drawing up a petition denouncing the tax, and later promised to raise a regiment of 700 men to prevent its collection. The Pennsylvania Germans, influenced by Fries and French brandy, erected liberty poles with cries of "Damm de President, damm de Congresz, damm de Arischdokratz!" and spent enough money to have more than paid the tax.
Assessors were ordered out of the country under threat of having their legs shot off; and Capt. Fries, with a feather in his hat, a sword and horse-pistol strapped to his side, led a band of fifty or sixty men--including a fifer and drummer--wearing red, white, and blue cockades, and proceeded to eject persistent collectors, and to liberate prisoners in custody of the federal marshal at Bethlehem. The area of belligerency was extended to include irate housewives who, by a liberal use of hot water, defended their homes from the measuring sticks of the assessors.
By a proclamation, March 12, 1799, President John Adams ordered the recalcitrant Pennsylvanians to submit to the laws, and sent General MacPherson with a force of regular cavalry and militia to arrest a few rioters.
Fries, busy at vendue when the troops appeared, did not complete the sale, but fled to a near-by swamp. At this point Whiskey brought the "Hot Water War" to an end by betraying his master's hiding-place. The insurgent leader was arrested, taken to Philadelphia for trial for treason, and twice sentenced to death, only to be pardoned by President Adams against the advice of his cabinet.
Fries returned to Bucks County and followed his profession until his death. There is no evidence to support the story that he opened a tin shop in Philadelphia and became a rich and influential citizen.
At the time of the rebellion named for him (1799-1800), Fries was living near Charlestown (present-day Trumbauersville). As an itinerant auctioneer, he became well acquainted with the German-Americans issues in the southeastern part of Pennsylvania. Starting in February 1799, he organized meetings to discuss a collective response to a tax the federal government had levied in response to the Quasi-War. Federal officers who were sent to Pennsylvania to collect its portion of the tax were resisted by a party of opposition which Fries had rallied from among the German speaking populations of Montgomery, Lehigh, Bucks and Berks counties. He was a favorite wherever he went, for his practical philosophy appealed to the common sense of his listeners.
In 1770 he was married to Margaret Brunner.
