Shays Rebellion
Introduction
Shays Rebellion was a sequence of threatening attacks towards several governmental institutions throughout Massachusetts, and they lasted from August 1786 up until June 1787. Many veterans who came back from the war were struggling with the high taxes imposed on Massachusetts, and they feared that they would lose their properties. To forward their concerns toward the government of Massachusetts, they went on protests towards the governmental institutions in Massachusetts.
What caused the event
The farmers who returned from the Revolutionary war received an insufficient amount of recoupment after their efforts in the Revolutionary war. The farmers felt like they were treated very poorly by the Massachusetts government. Additionally, many farmers struggled with the high taxes due to the damage caused by the Revolutionary war. Many farmers lost their property due to these high taxation demands, and many others were worried that they were going to lose their properties. In response to these high taxes, the farmers resorted to protests toward the governmental institutions in Massachusetts to voice their concerns.
A brawl between a Massachusetts governor and a rebel during Shay's Rebellion
Who is Daniel Shays
Daniel Shays was a soldier and a farmer, and he served as a second lieutenant in the state of Massachusetts. He was best known for being the leader of the Shays Rebellion. He left the army in 1780 and went on to become a farmer. However, he was struggling with the high demands of taxation, and he feared that he would lose his property due to these demands. And he was astounded to learn that many other farmers were facing a similar situation. He believed that he and his fellow veterans were mistreated by the government of Massachusetts, and so he resorted to protesting against the governmental institutions to address these concerns in public.
Revolutionary War veteran Daniel Shays
What happened during the Rebellion
Shays Rebellion initially started with peaceful protests, and they attempted harmless means to address their concerns. In response, the Massachusetts government proposed not to pressure the farmers struggling with taxes as long as they stop the rebellion. Additionally, they requested them to pledge allegiance to Massachusetts. However, that proposal did not work out since they passed an amendment completely excusing sheriffs if they killed rebels, and they would not be held accountable if they ordered to harm the rebels. Furthermore, the legislature stopped using ‘habeas corpus. Habeus corpus is used by the court to decide whether a prisoner’s punishment is lawful or not.
The situation continued to escalate as a farmer was attacked by a militia. This further enraged the farmers. The rebellion got too intense, and Governor Bowdoin set up his army to de-escalate the situation. Around 4,400 men were ordered to stop the rebellion.
This rebellion progressively heightened when the rebels decided to ambush the Springfield Arsenal to seize their weapons. However, troops were already located at the Springfield Arsenal as they had an indication this ambush was happening. Even more, troops were ordered to Springfield for added protection. Likewise, more aggressors accompanied the rebellion in their ambush. However, the ambush was unsuccessful as the troops fired at the rebels, which resulted in 2 casualties and 20 injured.
An artist depiction of the rebellion shows shay's troops at Springfield Arsenal as they retreat
What was the outcome of the event
As a result of this event, the Disqualification Act was passed. This act completely stopped any rebels from being able to partake in activities such as juries or voting, and among others, for three years. Also, Shays Rebellion led George Washington to come out of retirement and initiate the constitutional convention, which resulted in him being the first president of the United States.
Washington as a statesman in the Constitutional Convention
References
Text References:
Daniel Shays. (n.d.). Retrieved April 26, 2021, from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Daniel-Shays
History.com Editors. (2009, November 12). Shays' rebellion. Retrieved April 26, 2021, from https://www.history.com/topics/early-us/shays-rebellion
Visual references:
Bettmann. (n.d.). Engraving depicting a brawl between a Massachusetts government... Retrieved April 26, 2021, from https://www.gettyimages.ae/detail/news-photo/engraving-depicting-a-brawl-between-a-massachusetts-news-photo/517350858
Daniel Shays. (n.d.). Retrieved April 26, 2021, from http://shaysrebellion.stcc.edu/shaysapp/person.do?shortName=daniel_shays
Downtown, Springfield. “Shays' Rebellion 2020 Symposium: Perspectives on History.” Springfield BID, Springfield BID, 8 Jan. 2020, springfielddowntown.com/event/shays-rebellion-2020-symposium-perspectives-on-history/.
Ellis. (n.d.). The people's history of the world, including two volumes on the races of Mankind / by Edward S. ELLIS [and OTHERS]. V.6. Retrieved April 26, 2021, from https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=umn.31951d024837286&view=1up&seq=7
Shays' rebellion. (2021, April 16). Retrieved April 26, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shays%27_Rebellion
Washington as Statesman at the constitutional convention by Junius brutus stearns. (n.d.). Retrieved April 26, 2021, from https://teachingamericanhistory.org/resources/convention/stearns/