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Shays' Rebellion
The modern day Northampton courthouse, built in 1884 on the same site as the courthouse where Shays' Rebellion occurred.
The crisis of the 1780s was most intense in the rural and relatively newly settled areas of central and western Massachusetts. Many farmers in this area suffered from high debt as they tried to start new farms. Unlike many other state legislatures in the 1780s, the Massachusetts government didn't respond to the economic crisis by passing pro-debtor laws (like forgiving debt and printing more paper money). As a result local sheriffs seized many farms and some farmers who couldn't pay their debts were put in prison.
These conditions led to the first major armed rebellion in the post-Revolutionary United States. Once again, Americans resisted high taxes and unresponsive government that was far away. But this time it was Massachusetts's settlers who were angry with a republican government in Boston, rather than with the British government across the Atlantic.
The farmers in western Massachusetts organized their resistance in ways similar to the American Revolutionary struggle. They called special meetings of the people to protest conditions and agree on a coordinated protest. This led the rebels to close courts by force in the fall of 1786 and to liberate imprisoned debtors from jail. Soon events flared into a full-scale revolt when the resistors came under the leadership of Daniel Shays, a former captain in the Continental Army. This was the most extreme example of what could happen in the tough times brought on by the economic crisis. Some thought of the Shaysites (named after their military leader) as heroes in the direct tradition of the American Revolution, while many others saw them as dangerous rebels whose actions might topple the young experiment in republican government.
Patriots or traitors? Farmers from western Massachusetts followed petitions for economic relief with insurgency in the fall of 1786. A group of protestors, led by Revolutionary War veteran Daniel Shays, began a 6 month rebellion by taking over the Court of Common Pleas in Northampton; the goal was to prevent the trial
was forbidden from regulating taxes; they had to rely on donations from the states. This variant of government soon proved itself to be powerless when challenged with the new country’s crises. This paper explores the causes and effects of Shays’ Rebellion and its impact on the very foundation that the United States and many other nations are now based on. After the revolutionary war, the nation had large amount of debt racked up. The war for American Independence was the longest conflict the United…
Isabella McCallum! Lee Penniman! A.P Politics and Government! March 10, 2014! Select either Shays' Rebellion or ADA, 1990. Discuss how your chosen event/legislation is either an example of Freedom vs. Order or Freedom vs. Equality.! ! I chose to read Shay’s Rebellion. I chose this event because I am interested in the Articles of Confederation. Shay’s Rebellion is an example of Freedom v.s Order. Shay’s Rebellion is an example of Freedom v.s Order because it shows the American Government at a time were states…
states. The best example is seen in Shay’s Rebellion and the Whiskey Rebellion. In 1786, Shay’s Rebellion was dealt with, not by the feeble federal government, but by an army gathered by the elite. After the adoption of the U.S. Constitution, however, George Washington was able to successfully quell the Whiskey Rebellion in 1791 by the army drafted by the national government. America’s large war debt and reckless taxation was the direct cause of Shay’s Rebellion. The Articles of Confederation gave…
unjust acts such as the Quartering act, we felt that our time under Great Britain had expired. These were some of the reasons why we broke free from Great Britain. 2.) Shay’s Rebellion was significant because it showed how weak the central government was under the execution of the Articles of Confederation. Shay’s Rebellion consisted of a group of radical farmers lead by a former army captain by the name of Daniel Shay against the government because of a tax they couldn’t pay. The government had…
HISTORY STUDY GUIDE: CHAPTER 6 Republic: A state without a monarch or prince that is governed by representatives of the people. In 1776, Patriot leaders created republics with democratic features in the newly independent American states because they were suspicious of monarchical privilege. Necessary Evil: Establishment of sectionalism of political parties Manumission: The legal act of relinquishing property rights in slaves, thereby allowing them their freedom. Planters freed 10,000 slaves…
Davis, America’s Hidden History “America’s Hidden History” by Kenneth C. Davis covers the time period from 1469 to 1789. Rather than a traditional history, it is organized as a collection of six stories. Davis’s stated goal is to humanize history; instead of a collection of names and dates, he wants to explore the human motivations behind important events in America’s past. He also promises to include lesser known aspects of the stories of America’s founding (hence the title, “Hidden History.”) Although…
tightly and if the Constitution is not completely ratified, those strings will certainly break. You cerntainly know Mr. Washington know that if the Constitution isn't put into place soon, the government will become powerless once again and rebellions such Shay's Rebellion will occur on a larger scale, all across the nation. Mt. Washington I urge you to think about the Bill of Rights we are in so much desperate need of! The Constitution must have a Bill of Rights or we might…
section equaled 640 acres. The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 that Congress passed applied to the lands north of the Ohio River which was known as the Northwest Territory. Slavery determined by popular sovereignty in these territories. B. Shays rebellion was a situation where farmers led by Daniel Shay protested after taxes were raised to pay for Revolutionary debts. The combination of high taxes and depression led to farmers revolting. Resulting in an increase of tension between the North and South…
had more stability They came away with a bicameral Congress and established a stronger nat’l gov’t 4) Shay’s Rebellion was what? Who was Shay? How does this relate to our Constitution? Shays’ Rebellion Armed farmers took over courthouses to prevent judges from taking their farms for not paying their state taxes Daniel Shays Former soldier in Rev. War and farmer Leader of rebellion Constitution Relevancy Made leaders realize that the Art of Confed. were not strong because of the lack…
North America d. Barbary Coast-threatened American commerce in the Mediterranean 26. After the Revolutionary War, both Britain and Spain prevented America from exercising effective control over about half of its total territory. 27. Shay’s Rebellion was…