Reasons For Shay's Rebellion

There were many rebellions in the United States history, some peaceful and some violent. Shays' Rebellion in 1786 and the Whiskey Rebellion in 1794 are examples of two brutal rebellions that led to death of many innocent people. Rebellions can develop due to many conditions including unfair laws, unfair treatment, and a disagreement over a sensitive topic. The Shays' Rebellion showed the Articles of Confederation was too weak, while the Whiskey Rebellion proved the Constitution to be a strong framework of government.

In the book “Shays’ Rebellion: Authority and Distress in Post-revolutionary America”, Sean Condon shows us his outlook on how he saw post-revolutionary America to be within the late 1770’s and 1780’s. This book was released in 2015 by John Hopkins University Press, and was also made in a continuing book series by Peter Charles Hoffer and Willamjames Hull Hofer called Witness to History. The story takes us "Throughout the late summer and fall of 1786, farmers in central and western Massachusetts organized themselves into armed groups to protest against established authority and aggressive creditors. Calling themselves "regulators" or the "voice of the people.”” [1] Condon succeeds by prosing an appealing idea in an upfront style that shapes

In 1791 farmers tarred a tax collector and threatened to burn down houses.The Whiskey rebellion is what Alexander Hamilton called these events, it was farmers mostly in Pennsylvania rebelling against a whiskey tax. It was 1791, farmers rebelled against a whiskey tax, which later Washington led his army to stop, allowing him to empower his newly formed government.

“I hold it, that a little rebellion, now and then, is a good thing” (Jefferson). Thomas Jefferson wrote these words in a letter to James Madison after hearing about Shay’s Rebellion while he was a foreign diplomat in Paris. After the rebellion happened, the “Shaysites” as they were called, were labeled as traitors to their country and the democratic form of government. But were they really? Many of the men fighting in the rebellion felt that they were being oppressed just as they had been under British rule.

Daniel Shays Rebellion took place during the time of America's post war depression that from 1784-1787. The rebellion fits into the theme of ‘culture and society’. The confederation had an enormous debt that had built up during the Revolutionary War. Congress showed its weakness that weighed heavily on debtors and having no power to tax. The confederation could only make requisition on the states but even then could only receive one-sixth of the money. Robert Morris and his Philadelphia allies had an idea for a centralized government after the flaws found in the Articles of Confederation.

Shays’ Rebellion was a series of protests after the Revolutionary War, meant to help the poor farmers in the states. Individual states had debts, it wasn’t only the country in debt, and new taxing policies such as duties on imported goods added increased financial burden on citizens. Farmers were at risk of losing their farms, which were the only way they could make money in the first place. Shays wanted reforms to take place, in the form of tax help, paper money to assist in paying debts, and the removal of debtor’s prison. His followers prevented authorities from collecting taxes that were due, stopped them from collecting property and selling it, and held up the courts to prevent work being done. Even though they were defeated when they attempted to take weapons from Springfield, their acts were a wake up call to politicians. It reinforced the need for a new form of federal government, and eventually ended up getting at least some help to the people the protesters

The actions of Shay’s Rebellion did not go too far. Many farmers in Western Massachusetts were previously soldiers in the Continental Army. These farmers were now being met with unfair demands from Massachusetts merchants. When they could not live up to the demands, their land and possessions were taken and they could be thrown in jail. Many farmers such as Daniel Shay were previous members on the Continental Army, in which they received little pay for their contributions.

Admittedly, one significant continuity in violent protest in America from 1763 to 1791 was that the rebellions were always led by ordinary people to change government to benefit themselves. In the beginning of the period beginning in 1763, the first rebellion occurred in America, The March of the Paxton Boys. The Paxton Boy were Scots-Irish frontiersmen who created a small group in 1763 to retaliate against the the native attacks on the western frontier of Virginia and Pennsylvania that originated from the Pontiac’s Rebellion. They retaliated because the lack of the ability of the British Army and states militias to defend the colonist from the natives. Also Shays’ Rebellion was led by common people. Daniel Shays was a Revolutionary War Veteran and led four thousand poor yeomen farmers from western Massachusetts. Many of the Shaysite were also often Revolutionary War veterans which were not paid of their army stipends. Because of this, and the fact the economy was in a recession,

In states where debtors could not secure relief through politics, they sometimes took arms to defend their homes against what they deemed to be cruel and heartless creditors and an indifferent judicial system. One of these rebellions was Shay's Rebellion, which took place in Western Massachusetts. However, it was not limited to only Massachusetts. Soon outbreaks of violence ranged from Vermont to Virginia. In the winter of 1787 Shay's Rebellion was put down, but its lessons and its warnings lingered in the thoughts of many people. This demonstrated to many Americans the urgent need for a sound, strong government.

While rebellion is not always a healthy thing, as a result of Shay’s Rebellion we have learned many things about financial hardship after the Revolutionary War, how this affected masses of people, and how rebellion has shaped America today. Daniel Shays was one of the main leaders of the rebellion known as Shay’s Rebellion that occurred from 1786 to 1787, what Jonathan Smith says to be “one the most dramatic and significant incidents in the critical post-Revolutionary War period.” (Smith 77) With the Revolutionary War coming to an end in September of 1783, America, and its citizens, were struggling not only financially, but also politically. Financial struggles stemmed from the massive debt that the U.S. acquired

There were multiple reasons that people decided to rebel against the government during. One cause of the rebellion was because debt collectors were trying to collect money that the people did not have. The money taken from the people was causing people to not be able to care for himself or herself or put money back to the community. Another reason for the rebellion was that they believe the money raised was going to the government for personal interest instead of going to the debt they owe to other countries. The next reason was that Habeas Corpus was suspended. Habeas Corpus was put in place to bring people accused of wrongdoing before a judge as a way give legal rights to the people. The suspension of Habeas Corpus caused what the people believed was “unjust punishment.” (Gray) The final reason for their rebellion was that Justices of the Peace, including Sheriffs and Deputies, were given unlimited power, which was used as a way to get revenge and show hatred. (Gray) Shay’s rebellion did open the eyes of many Politicians and they had worked the replace the constitution after. During this Rebellion, “the people engaged in civil disobedience, violence against the tax collectors and threatened to secede tram the new republic.” (The Whiskey

Therefore, on January 25, 1787, Daniel Shays led the rebels “Regulators” to an arsenal in Springfield to seize all military weapon and, from there, head to Boston. However, they were surprised and met with General Lincoln and his militia, raised as a private army, approaching from the east. The army fired warning shots followed by artillery fire, killing four of the insurgents and wounding twenty. The rebels quickly scattered into the countryside, and the rebellion was essentially

Daniel Shays was a former officer in the Continental Army (Schultz, 2009). After the war, the economy took a turn for the worse, especially the farmers. The farmers’ income had fallen dramatically due and they were at risk of losing their farms, as well as going to jail for failure to pay their debts. In Massachusetts, a tax increase caused additional worries for the farmers. Some small towns in Massachusetts pleaded with the assembly regarding the taxes and lawsuits. However, their request were declined resulting in protests from the people which resulted in Shays Rebellion. He led a group of 1200 male protestors to the federal arsenal anticipating seizing control and cause the government to address the debt issues.

The economic problems that led to Shay’s rebellion began with the signing of the Treaty of Paris, which ended the revolutionary war and recognized America’s independence. America’s independence came with some unforeseen complications, since America was no longer a British colony they were cut out of many British markets including the Caribbean. Also many American merchants were in debt to British creditors and the creditors demanded cash payments with short deadlines and harsh punishments. This in turn caused American merchants to demand their money back from businesses who were in debt to them. These businesses then called for farmers and smaller businesses to pay back their debts. In addition to having to pay back their mounting debt farmers also had to pay taxes that were being raised by

Taxes. No one likes them, but taxes are something that everybody has to pay. This statement was very true for colonial America. One of the biggest factors resulting in America revolting against the British was the various taxes Britain levied on the Americans. After the American Revolution, taxes were not able to be enacted until the Articles of Confederation were eliminated and the US Constitution was established. The Constitution allowed Congress to levy their first tax on domestic goods, which was on distilled beverages. This tax proved to be the ultimate test for the growing America, and would begin the Whiskey Rebellion.