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While the outcome of the American Revolution was a triumph for the young nation, the first years of the United States were rough. Uncertainty about what form the government should take lingered, as well as questions about the boundaries between federal and state governments. After years of fighting a foreign power, the new country found itself in the throes of inner conflict. Shays’ Rebellion is arguably the most famous manifestation of this turmoil. A rural insurrection centered in Massachusetts, the aftereffects of Shays’ Rebellion would influence the entire country for centuries to come.
Despite being named for him, Shays’ Rebellion was not in fact led or organized by Daniel Shays, but his story was similar to the thousands of Massachusetts farmers financially burdened in post-revolution America. Born in 1747, Shays owned sixty-eight acres of farmland on which he lived with his wife and their six children. After war was declared against the British, Shays joined the militia. He would serve at the Battle of Bunker Hill and the Battle of Stony Point. His military service ending in 1780, Shays was not home long before he was summoned to court for not paying his debts. Like many veterans of the revolution, Shays had not yet received his full pay and so could not cover what he owed.
The financial situation for many farmers grew worse over the decade. The government aimed to pay off its war debt by 1789, so taxes rose dramatically. Inflation affected paper money, causing many merchants to insist on payment in gold or silver. The situation was particularly dire in Massachusetts. As debts accumulated, these farmers grew desperate. They felt they were worse off than when the British ruled the colonies. Initially, the farmers tried to solve their problems peacefully by petitioning. However, the petitions were ignored.
Matters grew turbulent at the end of August 1786. Shays was among two thousand other protestors who gathered outside Massachusetts courthouses across the state, blocking entry to stave off more farm mortgage foreclosures. Local militias did nothing to defend the courthouses and sometimes even joined the protestors. Massachusetts Governor James Bowdoin denounced the protestors, though he did not respond right away. The protests continued into the autumn and winter, with Shays organizing some protests at court hearings in the hopes of delaying more debt collection.
By January 1787, Bowdoin gathered a privately-funded militia of 1200 men led by former Continental Army General Benjamin Lincoln to stop the courthouse disturbances. On January 25th, the two opposing forces would meet at the Springfield federal arsenal. The insurgents were spread into three forces, the eastern one led by Shays. Lincoln’s militia fired warning shots then switched to artillery fire, killing four and injuring twenty. The insurgent army lost its nerve and scattered. Shays tried avoiding Lincoln by fleeing northeast, his army robbing merchants to get by, but Lincoln caught up with them. Shays avoided capture by hiding out in the Vermont woods, but the rebellion was over.
In the months to come, thousands would confess to participating in the rebellion in exchange for amnesty. Two of the leaders would be hanged, but Shays and the rest avoided this fate. By 1788, Shays was pardoned and came out of hiding. He received a pension for his military service. The new legislature alleviated the economic crisis by lowering taxes and suspending debts.
Though Shays’ Rebellion started out as a local issue, its influence spread to the whole country. The insurrection highlighted weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation which had been adopted after the revolution. The national government was seen as too weak given all that had happened. Shays’ Rebellion spurred on the drafting of the Constitution by the Constitutional Convention, which replaced the Articles of Confederation in 1789.
The frustrations of Massachusetts farmers over high taxes and inadequate compensation for war service spiraled into months of protests and violence in the late 1780s. A local issue quickly shook the young United States of America to its core, paving the way for the creation of the Constitution. Below are resources to help you learn more about this controversial event and the historical context behind it.
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