Shays' Rebellion

Many veterans (soldiers who fought in the Revolution) were angry because...

• They weren't allowed to keep their weapons

• They weren't given much credit for their win

• They did not believe the war ended fairly

• They didn't get paid for their service

One of the biggest problems facing the US after the Revolution was...

• George Washington's retirement

• The huge amount of debt the country had

• The British dragging their feet to sign the Treaty of Paris

• The number of people still loyal to the king

Why were farmers in Massachusetts so upset in 1786 and 1787?

• The US was getting ready to go to war with France and they'd have to be soldiers again

• The national government kept raising taxes on farmers to pay off the war debt

• They were losing their farms because they could not afford the taxes on them

• No one would buy their crops because they were over priced

What is one reason the farmers in Massachusetts could not afford to pay the taxes on their farms?

• There was a drought that ruined their crops

• Most were soldiers who'd never been paid of their service

• People were not interested in buying the crops they were selling

Who was Daniel Shays?

• A former soldier and farmer who was worried about losing his farm, so he started a rebellion

• A tax collector from Massachusetts who had to go and collect money from the poor

• He was the Governor of Massachusetts at the time of a huge rebellion by farmers