Yesterday on January 25, 1787, a revolutionary war hero Daniel Shays led a rebellion with about 2000 angry farmers to the arsenal at Springfield, Ma. The rebels were put down by General Shepard leading 1200 government soldiers. The soldiers captured the fighting rebels and they are expected to be sentenced to death on the charge of treason. The angry mob rallied against the new higher taxes and economic conditions that are occurring in the rural lands. Also they were rebelling against politicians and laws which were mostly unfair to the farmers and working people in general. They made it clear they did not like the new polling taxes that keep the poor from voting, unfair actions by the court of common pleas, the high cost of lawsuits, and the lack of a stable currency. The rebels demanded the issue of a paper money, since there is a variety of paper currency now, but not much value is put on it. This however, has not been the first appearance of Daniel Shays with his rebels. On August 29th, 1786, he was at the court house in Northampton to prevent the trial and imprisonment of some debtors. In September 1786, Shays and about 600 armed farmers stormed the courthouse in Springfield. Governor Bowdin countered with a militia of 4400 troops. The United States has yet to form formal government organizations. The constitutional congress has yet to convene, and the country is in chaos.
I have been hearing around town and have been reading in the newspapers about these rebels that have been storming court houses and rallying against the so called outrageous prices and taxes that the Government has put fourth. I was talking to my neighbor and we came to the conclusion that every new organization has its beginning problems. I decided we all have to bear with each other until it is all worked out. I think if word of this rebellion gets out to England they will just tell our representatives that we were wrong to separate from England. Instead our new country needs to manage problems together and peacefully. It may be time for our elected leaders to meet somewhere and write a new constitution because these Articles of Confederation fail to give our government the power to prevent such rebellions! I hope that leader of the rebellion, Daniel Shays, reads this and is informed of how I and my friends disapprove of forceful protest.
Sent-in-by, Mary Pierce, Massachusetts.
I recently read about the rebellion in Springfield, led by the previous revolutionary war hero Daniel Shays. Back in the revolution days we were fighting for a free and independent country. Now our government is telling us what to do. And old Dan Shays did not like it. Neither do I and if I could I would have been helping Mr. Shays. He didn't violate any laws as far as I am concerned, just demonstrating for our rights. There's no question the taxes are too high, and we didn't even get to vote on them. I hope the skirmishing in Springfield helps this newborn Government see what they're doing.
The Rebellion looked like this eyewitness image
Daniel Shays : a Rebel Hero
The main Leader of the Rebellion, yesterday at the Springfield arsenal, was Daniel Shays. He was a farmer who served as captain in the Revolutionary war. He had served at the Battle of Lexington, he had also been distinguished for his soldiering at the Battle of Bunker Hill, and had seen the crucial action at Saratoga in 1770. After 1780 he had held political offices in Pelham, MA. Shays then started feeling sorry for his fellow farmers. Then starting In August 1786 Shays with his angry farmers started storming courthouses and other political buildings. Daniel Shays, a man who is protesting the country, the country he once fought for.
One View of Shays Rebellion
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