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===Shays' Rebellion===

===Shays' Rebellion===

Shays' Rebellion was an armed revolt in Massachusetts that lasted six months, from August 1786 until February 1787, demonstrating how weak and inadequate the national government was under the Articles of Confederation.  The cause of the revolt was, of course, money.  It was an armed uprising of farmers in Massachusetts who were burdened with high debt.  This was the first of many future clashes between Americans who owed money (debtors) and those who lent money (creditors).  The farmers were angry that they had to pay back their loans in "specie" (gold or silver) rather than in cheaper paper money.  Every state other than Massachusetts had issued paper money, and the sudden inflation that had occurred in other states was helpful to farmers by decreasing the burden of their loans and increasing the prices of their agricultural products in the stores.  Little did the farmers know that the paper money in other states would soon become worthless and lead to a depression.

Shays' Rebellion was an armed revolt in Massachusetts that lasted six months, from August 1786 until February 1787, demonstrating how weak and inadequate the national government was under the Articles of Confederation.  The cause of the revolt was money, which is the root cause of most revolutions.  It was an armed uprising of farmers in Massachusetts who were burdened with high debt.  This was the first of many future clashes between Americans who owed money (debtors) and those who lent money (creditors).  The farmers were angry that they had to pay back their loans in "specie" (gold or silver) rather than in cheaper paper money.  Every state other than Massachusetts had issued paper money, and the sudden inflation that had occurred in other states was helpful to farmers by decreasing the burden of their loans and increasing the prices of their agricultural products in the stores.  (The paper money in other states soon became worthless and led to a depression.)

The farmers lost their farms when they could not pay back their loans (banks would take ownership of the farms and auction them off).  By losing their property, farmers also lost their right to vote, because at the time only property owners could vote.  The farmers took to violence to help themselves.  Specifically, they seized the town courthouse to prevent any additional court-ordered seizures of their farms.  The Massachusetts governor sent in the militia but there were more farmers in the rebellion than there were in the militia sent by the governor.  Daniel Shays then led 1200 men to Springfield to capture the federal arsenal, but by then there were enough state militiamen to protect it and defeat Shays.  Shays fled to the Vermont area.  Everyone was panicked by this uprising, and a newly elected Massachusetts legislature subsequently enacted some debt relief for the farmers.

The farmers lost their farms when they could not pay back their loans (banks would take ownership of the farms and auction them off).  By losing their property, farmers also lost their right to vote, because at the time only property owners could vote.  The farmers took to violence to help themselves.  Specifically, they seized the town courthouse to prevent any additional court-ordered seizures of their farms.  The Massachusetts governor sent in the militia but there were more farmers in the rebellion than there were in the militia sent by the governor.  Daniel Shays then led 1200 men to Springfield to capture the federal arsenal, but by then there were enough state militiamen to protect it and defeat Shays.  Shays fled to the Vermont territory (it was not yet a state).  After the rebellion was over Shays was pardoned for his crime, but was so vilified by newspapers in Massachusetts that he had to move to New York to farm there instead.  Everyone was panicked by this uprising, and a newly elected Massachusetts legislature subsequently enacted some debt relief for the farmers.  John Hancock (the famous signer of the Declaration of Independence) then defeated by a landslide the Massachusetts governor who mishandled this crisis, in the next election.

This terrifying incident convinced many that a new national government was necessary.  In particular, this rebellion impressed upon George Washington himself that '''''a stronger national government was needed to maintain law and order'''''.  Later, when George Washington was president, he personally led a national army to easily put down a future revolt in Pennsylvania (the Whiskey Rebellion).

This terrifying incident convinced many that a new national government was necessary.  In particular, this rebellion impressed upon George Washington himself that '''''a stronger national government was needed to maintain law and order'''''.  Later, when George Washington was president, he personally led a national army to easily put down a future revolt in Pennsylvania (the Whiskey Rebellion).