Shays' Rebellion [ushistory.org] (2024)

FAQs

What was Shays Rebellion answer? ›

A violent insurrection in the Massachusetts countryside during 1786 and 1787, Shays' Rebellion was brought about by a monetary debt crisis at the end of the American Revolutionary War. Although Massachusetts was the focal point of the crisis, other states experienced similar economic hardships.

Shays's Rebellion exposed the weakness of the government under the Articles of Confederation and led many—including George Washington—to call for strengthening the federal government in order to put down future uprisings.

Shays's Rebellion and other acts of violence deeply shocked Americans and spread fear the United States was on the verge of anarchy. Motivated by this fear more and more Americans turned to the idea of a stronger central government.

What was Shay's Rebellion? a series of protests in 1786 and 1787 by American farmers against state and local enforcement of tax collections and judgments for debt.

Shays' Rebellion did not succeed. For many, the rebellion symbolized a fatal weakness of the national government under the Articles of Confederation. Because Congress had no power to raise money, it could not help the states pay off their war debts, which forced the states to tax their citizens heavily.

Answer and Explanation: There's no way to know what would have happened if Shays' Rebellion had succeeded. One possible outcome would have been an intervention by neighboring states to arrest and execute the rebels. Another could have been the overthrow and reorganization of the Massachusetts state government.

Shays' followers wanted to overthrow the Massachusetts government, whereas the state governing body felt capable of fending off the rebellion on its own. Shays' followers wanted to ally themselves with anti-government forces to protest taxes, whereas the state continued to push for a strong central government.

For many, the rebellion symbolized a fatal weakness of the national government under the Articles of Confederation. Because Congress had no power to raise money, it could not help the states pay off their war debts, which forced the states to tax their citizens heavily.

Of Shays' Rebellion, Washington wrote, "if three years ago any person had told me that at this day, I should see such a formidable rebellion against the laws & constitutions of our own making as now appears I should have thought him a bedlamite - a fit subject for a mad house." He wrote that if the government "shrinks, ...

The federal government, severely limited in its prerogatives under the Articles of Confederation, found itself unable to finance troops to put down the rebellion; it was consequently put down by the Massachusetts State Militia under William Shepard, alongside a privately funded local militia led by former Continental ...

What happened to Shays after being defeated? ›

In 1788 he petitioned for a pardon, which was soon granted. At the end of the rebellion, Shays had escaped to Vermont. Afterward he moved to Schoharie county, New York, and then, several years later, farther westward to Sparta, New York. In his old age, he received a federal pension for his services in the Revolution.

With the passage of time, weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation became apparent; Congress commanded little respect and no support from state governments anxious to maintain their power. Congress could not raise funds, regulate trade, or conduct foreign policy without the voluntary agreement of the states.

The primary cause of Shays' Rebellion was that combination of citizens, especially farmers, were extremely impoverished and Massachusetts was increasing the already high tax rate. Most of the farmers were former veterans who had not been paid fully by the U.S. government for service in the American Revolution.

For many in the Founding generation—including George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison—Shays' Rebellion was proof that the Articles were too weak to govern the country. They feared that this might be the first of many violent uprisings.

In September, Shays led a group of 600 men to shut down the court in Springfield. Determined to use peaceful means, he negotiated with General William Shepard for the court to open while allowing protesters to parade. The court eventually closed down when it couldn't find any jurors to serve.

Shays's Rebellion was an armed uprising in Western Massachusetts and Worcester in response to a debt crisis among the citizenry and in opposition to the state government's increased efforts to collect taxes on both individuals and their trades.

A rebellion is a violent organized action by a large group of people who are trying to change their country's political system. The British soon put down the rebellion. ... the ruthless and brutal suppression of rebellion. Synonyms: resistance, rising, revolution, revolt More Synonyms of rebellion.

Of Shays' Rebellion, Washington wrote, "if three years ago any person had told me that at this day, I should see such a formidable rebellion against the laws & constitutions of our own making as now appears I should have thought him a bedlamite - a fit subject for a mad house." He wrote that if the government "shrinks, ...

Daniel Shays (August 1747 – September 29, 1825) was an American soldier, revolutionary and farmer famous for allegedly leading Shays' Rebellion, a populist uprising against controversial debt collection and tax policies in Massachusetts in 1786–1787.