READING CHECK || "Shay's Rebellion"

Which state is MOST central to the events of Shay's Rebellion in 1786 and 1787?

• New York
• Connecticut
• Maine
• Massachusetts

Which sentence from the introduction [paragraphs 1-4] BEST explains the reason for Shays' Rebellion?

• After the Revolutionary War, the United States was a new country.
• Many people thought the government was treating them unfairly.
• Thousands of people came together to rebel against the government.
• This rebellion was called Shays' Rebellion.

Why did the state governments have to levy taxes on their residents in the 1780's?

• To pay the state's debts accrued while fighting the American Revolution.
• To pay soldiers who fought in state militias during the American Revolution.
• To reimburse British landowners for their lands that were vacated following the Revolution.

Which of the following statements BEST represents the Massachusetts government's approach to the financial crisis in the1780s?

• The government passed pro-debtor laws and printed more paper money.
• The government allowed local sheriffs to seize farms and imprison debtors.
• The government worked with business leaders to improve the local economy.
• The government organized an armed force to prevent an anticipated rebellion.

Which answer choice accurately characterizes Governor Bowdoin's reaction to Shays' Rebellion?

• He used the donations of businessmen to build an army that ended the resistance.
• He waited for the support of voters before sending troops to end the resistance.
• He refused to take sides in the rebellion, because he wanted to protect the government.
• He supported the rebellion, because he believed it would bring beneficial change.

What is the relationship between Massachusetts' debt laws and Shays' Rebellion?

• The laws angered people, because police could seize farms and put farmers in jail for not paying their debt.
• The laws made the rebellion worse, because they made it easier for people to pay their debts.
• The laws created a program for debt forgiveness in time to prevent the rebellion from happening.
• The laws emphasized the importance of having strong leaders who could argue with the government.

Which of the following selections BEST supports the idea that Shays' Rebellion was caused by harsh debt laws?

• After the American Revolution, many farmers faced financial hardships. They borrowed money from the government to start farms. Some farmers could not pay the money back.
• To start the farms, they had to take on debt. In the 1780s, many state governments passed laws that were favorable to debtors — that is, people who took on debt.
• Sometimes, these governments did not force debtors to pay back the money they owed. This is known as debt forgiveness.
• However, the Massachusetts government didn't respond to the economic crisis by passing pro-debtor laws. Instead, local sheriffs seized many farms and some farmers who couldn't pay their debts were put in prison.

How did Shays' Rebellion cause changes in the local and national government?

• It resulted in the weakening of local governments that soon became controlled by the large national government.
• It resulted in the election of pro-debtor local governments and the creation of a stronger national government.
• It resulted in the strengthening of local governments that helped suppress uprisings against the national government.
• It resulted in the creation of harsher local government laws that were overturned by the national government.

Fill in the blank. The author MAINLY conveys the importance of Shays' Rebellion by ______.

• comparing Shays to generals who led troops in the Revolutionary War.
• comparing laws in Massachusetts to laws in surrounding states.
• explaining how the federal government was ultimately improved.
• explaining that Massachusetts voters turned against Gov. Bowdoin.

Which of the following would BEST describe the organization of Shays' Rebellion?

• Farmers held special meetings to coordinate a revolt with methods similar to those of the American Revolution, but the rebellion fell apart quickly when faced with better-organized troops.
• Farmers improved upon the ideas that had been used in the American Revolution to form a strong resistance, which was only defeated by forces of the federal government.
• Daniel Shays convinced his followers to hold special meetings to gain the support of local farmers and businesses, and it was only through luck that the governor was able to defeat them.
• Daniel Shays assumed leadership of the revolt after rebels freed him from jail so that he could use his military skills to train a strong rebel military force to defeat the state.