Massachusetts farmers organized a rebellion led by Daniel Shay in response to harsh laws and high taxes imposed by the state legislature to collect debts from the Revolutionary War. Shay and 700 men, many of them unpaid veterans, closed courts that were foreclosing on farms. They were eventually defeated by the state militia in 1787. The rebellion highlighted the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and contributed to the convening of the Constitutional Convention to draft a new governing framework for the new United States.

3. Debt from European creditors
A chain of debt left the farmers to pay the bulk of the tax
Massachusetts legislature set harsh laws for debt collection

4.  There was a wave of farm closures in Massachusetts
 protested high taxation, the governor's high salary, high court costs
and the refusal to issue paper money
 Shay organized an army of 700 men- many were unpaid veterans
 Closed down commonwealth’s supreme court in Worcester
 Next they turned west to Springfield where they broke into the jail to
free imprisoned debtors.
 The rebels were routed in a battle in January 1787.
 Shay escaped to Vermont where he was later pardoned.
 150 others were captured and several were sentenced to death.
 George Washington wanted compassionate treatment of the
rebels.
 Samuel Adams urged death sentences for the rebels.
 The next statewide election in Massachusetts altered the assembly
and led to the passing of measures which were designed to
improve the farmers' conditions.

5.  1780- Daniel Shay resigned from the army unpaid.
 went home finding himself in court for the nonpayment of debts.
 He began organizing for debt relief.
 Autumn 1786- Shay organized groups of farmers to march upon the
debtors courts which cause court closures
 Winter 1787- the organized army marched to Springfield, where the
rebels were met by a militia and they were dispersed.
 January 1787- planned to seize weapons from the Springfield armory,
however his collaborator Luke Day, replied to Shay saying he would not
be able to make the date, but Shay never received his message.
 Without reinforcement, 4 of Shay’s men were killed and 20 were
wounded.
 1787- by now most of the fleeing rebels had been captured.
 1788- many of the rebels were either jailed or sentenced to death,
however a general amnesty was granted
 Shay too was pardoned where he then moved to Massachusetts

7.  Delegate James Madison represented an
opposition to the views of Samuel Adams
› “There is reason to apprehend that
every thing is not yet right in Massts.
and that the discontents are rather
silenced than subdued. The measures
taken by the Legislature of that state
prove that such is their view of the
matter.”- James Madison
 Madison thought that the decision to
punish the civilians of Shay’s rebellion
would do more harm than good and he
made this clear to Washington.
 He thought that Shays rebellion would act
as a disease and spread throughout the
country affecting other colonies besides
just Massachusetts
 He thought that it was necessary for the
federal government to maintain the civil
liberties of the people.
› “Liberty may be endangered by the
abuses of liberty as well as the abuses
of power.”

8.  55 Delegates from 12 states meet to
discuss possible reform of articles of
confederation in light of recent acts.
 Set out to create stronger, more
centralized government that can tend to
the problems of the people.

9.  · http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shays%27
_Rebellion
 · http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/histo
ry/A0844765.html
 · http://www.ushistory.org/us/15a.asp
 · http://www.u-s-
history.com/pages/h363.html
 http://shaysrebellion.stcc.edu/shaysapp/pe
rson.do?shortName=james_madison