Articles of Confederation and Shays' Rebellion

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What are the Articles of Confederation?

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The name of the first system of government used by the United States

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Why did the authors of the Articles of Confederation create such a weak national government?

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They wanted to avoid creating a dictatorship where states were told what to do by a larger national power.

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Why were many farmers poor and in debt in Massachusetts?

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They were not paid for their service as soldiers in the Revolutionary War.

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What did Massachusetts courts do when farmers could not pay their debts in gold or silver?

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They seized and sold farmers' land, livestock, and crops.

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What happened as a result of Shays' Rebellion?

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The Constitutional Convention meeting was called to discuss the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.