Changes
But the Articles of Confederation did succeed in its plan for the systematic admission of new states based on population: the Northwest Ordinance of 1787.
Shay’s Rebellion in 1786-87 illustrated how inadequate the national government was under the Articles of Confederation. It was an armed uprising of Massachusetts farmers 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 cheaper paper money, which was a common requirement of the time. They lost their farms when they could not pay their loans, and because of that they lost their right to vote, because at the time only property owners could vote. They violently took over 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 then there were in the militia. Daniel Shay<s> then led 1200 men to Springfield to capture the federal arsenal, but by then there were enough state militiamen to win. Shays fled to the Vermont area. Everyone was panicked by this uprising, and a newly elected Massachusetts legislature subsequently enacted some debt relief.
The Constitutional Convention convened in the summer of 1787 in Philadelphia to strengthen the national government by modifying the Articles of Confederation. Every state sent representatives except Rhode Island. (Remember Rhode Island – some claim its “separation of church and state” laid the foundation for the Constitution. It didn’t even show up!). The deliberations were held in secret, without any news leaking to the newspapers. Everyone was ordered to destroy their notes afterwards, but James Madison kept his notes and they were released about fifty years later.
