Shays' Rebellion

SHAYS’
REBELLION

Creating a Republic

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F

Articles of Confederation

What were the
causes of Shays’

Rebellion and what

did it lead to?

●Remember that each state was in debt because of
the war

●The Massachusetts government decided that
instead of making more paper money (which would
lead to inflation), they would instead try to pay off
their debts by raising taxes

●These new taxes most impacted farmers, particularly
poor farmers in the western part of the state

●As the economy in America grew worse, many of
these poor farmers found it impossible to pay their
taxes as well as their mortgages and other debts

●Those who could not pay their taxes were often
forced to lose their farms

A New Tax Hike in Massachusetts

Multiple Choice

Why were states in debt during this time period under the Articles of Confederation?

• States spent money to buy land

• States were in debt because war is expensive

• States spent too much on imported corn

• States didn't know how to handle their money

Multiple Choice

How did the state of Massachusetts plan on paying off its debt?

• Raising taxes

• Borrowing money from the French

• Borrowing money from the Spanish

• Having a Bake Sale

Multiple Choice

What group of people were most affected by the tax increases in Massachusetts?

• Rich artisans

• Wealthy merchants

• Poor Farmers

• Politicians

Multiple Choice

If farmers couldn't pay off their debts, what would happen to them?

• They would go to jail

• They would become servants

• Nothing happened to them

• They would lose their farms

●These poor farmers asked the government for
help, but the government ignored their concerns

●In late August 1786, farmers in western
Massachusetts began to rebel

●These farmers forced several county courthouses
to close so that those courts couldn’t foreclose
their farms

●These farmers then marched on the state
supreme court

●At this point, Daniel Shays, a former captain in the
Continental Army, who was now a bankrupt
farmer, emerged as one of the rebellion’s leaders.

A Rebellion Forms

Multiple Choice

How did the Massachusetts government react when the farmers complained about the high taxes?

• The government understood their concerns

• The government worked with them to find a solution

• The government ignored them

• The government lowered their taxes

Multiple Choice

Who emerged as a leader of this farmer rebellion?

• George Washington

• Thomas Jefferson

• Ben Franklin

• Daniel Shays

●In January 1787, Shays and about 1,200 farmers headed
to a state arsenal intending to seize weapons before
marching on Boston.

●In response, the Massachusetts governor sent more
than 4,000 volunteers under the command of General
Benjamin Lincoln to defend the arsenal.

●Before these government volunteers arrived, Shays and
the other poor farmers attacked, leading to the state
militia to open fire.

●Four farmers died in the fighting and the rest scattered.

●The next day, General Lincoln’s troops arrived and
ended the rebellion.

●The rebellion sparked a lot of fear in government
officials

Details of Shays’ Rebellion

Multiple Choice

What was Shays' plan for the rebellion?

• March to an arsenal and seize weapons before going to Boston

• Storm the capitol building

• Make signs and protest peacefully

• Write a letter to the delegates

Multiple Choice

Shays' plan for a rebellion was very similar to the colonists' plan in the Revolutionary War which led to which major battle?

• Battle of Lexington and Concord

• Battle of Trenton

• Battle of Long Island

• Battle of Quebec

●

Shays’ Rebellion was stopped, but it raised alarms across
the country.

●

Congress didn’t have a standing army or money to send
soldiers if there were more rebellions, and relying on help
from state militias wasn't working out very well.

●

Congress also couldn’t regulate any of the states’ economic
policies, such as trade or taxes,, to help boost finances.

●

And feeling like the government wasn’t looking out for
their fundamental rights like life and property, people were
beginning to take matters into their own hands.

A Call for Change

Multiple Choice

What impact did Shays' Rebellion have on the country?

• It showed that America needs a stronger federal government

• It showed that America needs a stronger state government

• It showed that America needs to give more power to farmers

• It showed that America needs to keep power in the hands of wealthy elites

• In the summer of 1787, states sent delegates to Philadelphia. 

• Shays’ Rebellion was the spark states needed to convince them that the Articles of Confederation really weren’t working out.

•  Instead of just changing the Articles, though, the delegates began to work out a new plan for government—one with a stronger central government and carefully balanced checks to ensure that the government couldn’t grow out of control

• They began to create a whole new U.S. Constitution!

Aftermath of Shays' Rebellion

Multiple Choice

What did the delegates at the Constitutional Congress do after Shays' Rebellion?

• They tweaked the Articles of Confederation

• They refused to do anything

• They scrapped the Articles of Confederation and wrote a new constitution

• They gave up and asked Britain to control them again

Quick Review of What You Remember!

Multiple Choice

In the Articles of Confederation, there was only ___ branch(es) of government.

• 1

• 2

• 3

• 4

Multiple Choice

How many branches of government do we currently have in our system today?

• 1

• 2

• 3

• 4

Multiple Choice

The only branch of government that existed under the Articles of Confederation was the:

• Executive Branch

• Legislative Branch

• Judicial Branch

• Tree Branch

Multiple Choice

How many votes did each state get under the Articles of Confederation

• 1

• 2

• 3

• 4

Multiple Choice

Which states were upset with the voting process under the Articles?

• Small States

• Large States

• Poor States

• Rich States

Multiple Choice

Under the Articles, Congress had the power to:

• tax people

• regulate state disputes

• put people on trial

• declare war

Multiple Choice

Our president is part of which branch of government?

• Executive

• Legislative

• Judicial

• Tree

Multiple Choice

Our Congress is part of which branch of government?

• Executive

• Legislative

• Judicial

• Tree

Multiple Choice

The Congress under the Articles of Confederation only had one chamber. This is called a:

• unicameral legislature

• bicameral legislature

• chocolate caramel legislature

• tricameral legislature

Multiple Choice

Today we have a bicameral legislature so that small and large states are both happy. In this system, we have the Senate and the:

• Presidency

• House of Representatives

• Courts

• Vice President

Multiple Choice

The courts are part of which branch of government today?

• Executive

• Legislative

• Judicial

• Tree

Multiple Choice

True or False: Under the Articles of Confederation, there was no president of the United States.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

True or False: Under the Articles of Confederation, Virginia had more votes than Delaware.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

True or False: To amend the Articles, 10 out of 13 states need to approve.

• True

• False