{"id":10428,"date":"2017-07-07T15:47:28","date_gmt":"2017-07-07T22:47:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/hs\/?p=10428"},"modified":"2017-07-02T16:48:10","modified_gmt":"2017-07-02T23:48:10","slug":"shays-rebellion-apush-topics-to-study-for-test-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/hs\/ap\/shays-rebellion-apush-topics-to-study-for-test-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Shays’ Rebellion: APUSH Topics to Study for Test Day"},"content":{"rendered":"

Shays\u2019 Rebellion was an uprising in Massachusetts that followed the Revolutionary War. The rebellion was spurred by high taxes and economic depression among rural farmers of the state. Shays\u2019 Rebellion APUSH questions will likely focus on the effects the uprising had on the drafting of a new constitution.<\/p>\n

What is Shays\u2019 Rebellion?<\/h2>\n

Shays\u2019 Rebellion was a series of protests and subversive acts, including an attempt to occupy a federal arsenal and overthrow the state government. The rebellion was named after its de facto leader, Daniel Shays, a former captain in the Continental army. The rebellion was sparked by the outrage of rural farmers who were losing their land due to their inability to pay high taxes. Seeing no relief, the farmers organized and began a series of protests that shut down the courts. Eventually, Shays organized an army of over a thousand rebels who marched on the arsenal in Springfield. They were run off by state militia. The militia pursued and eventually the rebellion was defeated, its actors fleeing to neighboring states.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/center>
\nA portrait Daniel Shays (left) and Job Shattuck, another leader in the rebellion.<\/p>\n

Important years to note for Shays\u2019 Rebellion: <\/h2>\n

1786-1787:<\/strong> Shays\u2019 rebels protest, shut down courts, and attack the Springfield arsenal<\/p>\n

Why is Shays\u2019 Rebellion so important?<\/h2>\n

While unsuccessful in its aim to overthrow the Massachusetts government, Shays\u2019 Rebellion had a lasting effect on the nation. Already unsatisfied with the Articles of Confederation, national leaders were troubled by the rebellion, seeing it as further evidence of the confederation\u2019s weakness. They worried that states were not powerful enough to maintain order and settle disruptive matters, and that there were no checks on the authority of state leaders. The next rebellion, they feared, might be successful, and they foresaw unrest and anarchy befalling the nation state-by-state. When delegates went to Philadelphia for the Constitutional Convention, Shays\u2019 Rebellion was on their mind. The Federalists argued for a stronger central government that could stabilize the country and contain civil unrest while holding state governments accountable for the life, liberty, and happiness of its citizens. <\/p>\n

What are some historical people and events related to Shays\u2019 Rebellion?<\/h2>\n