Hello everyone, I don't know what quite to say for an introduction as this is my first post here. Anywho, I've been tinkering with a timeline for a while, so I figured writing it up here would be a good idea. Any and all criticism is welcome. Enough blabbering, here's the timeline. "We are now in a state of Anarchy and Confusion bordering on Civil War." —James Warren In late 1786, the newly-founded United States of America was in peril. Unity between the states was slowly slipping, the Congress of the Confederation was barely capable of assembling a quorum to hold sessions, and a growing number of citizens began to believe the country should be divided, so as to establish stronger and more stable countries. In no state was the situation more dire than Massachusetts. Unlike many of the other states, militant protests against high taxes and corrupt courts were unable to be halted by the Massachusetts state government. On September 5th, Governor James Bowdoin called the militia to take arms against the protesters; the militia refused to assist, as many militiamen were allies of the protesters. The protesters, who called themselves Regulators, began to grow increasingly bold, shutting down courts across Western Massachusetts. By late September, a leader had emerged amongst the Regulators: Captain Daniel Shays, a former Revolutionary war soldier. Under Shays leadership, an army of nearly five hundred Regulators assembled in Springfield to shut down the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts. On September 26th, when the Court assembled in Springfield, William Shepard, the local militia leader, was able to turn out three hundred men to defend the court. In light of this, Daniel Shays ordered his men to demonstrate, rather than try and shut the courts down. However, a single shot was fired by an unknown Regulator, which struck Shepard, killing him instantly. Following the shot the Regulators and militia clashed, with the Regulators defeating the militia and capturing Springfield. As word of the Regulator victory spread, farmers across Massachusetts begin rallying behind Shays and the Regulators. By the end of September the cities of Northampton and Petersham were also taken over by Regulators. News of the defeat of the Springfield militia by the Regulators reached Boston early on the 28th of September. Amongst the elite of Boston panic began to set in, which led Governor Bowdoin to draw up a Riot Act which suspended Habeas Corpus, ordered the arrest and execution of “any and all persons” committing acts of treason, and forbade speech critical of the government of Massachusetts. Unfortunately for Bowdoin, the Riot Act only further fueled the Regulators’ cause and made many within Boston sympathetic to the Regulator movement. By October 15th, the majority of Western Massachusetts had fallen under the control of the Regulators. This lead to Secretary of War Henry Knox calling for the states to raise militias to help put down the rebellion. According to Knox: “It is not just Massachusetts that is in danger of utter destruction, but it is the entirety of America that shall be cast over the brink should this crisis not be abated.” However, on November 7th, the Continental Congress voted on whether or not to take action and five states: Rhode Island, New Hampshire, New York, South Carolina and Virginia voted against the proposed actions blocking any action by the Continental Congress. The same day that the Continental Congress refused to take action, the Regulator Army which was now numbering over four thousand, marched into Concord, and seized the city without a single life being lost. With the fall of Concord, the Regulators were only two days march from Boston. When the news of the loss at Concord reached Governor Bowdoin, the Governor fled to Rhode Island. The following day, riots broke out across Boston and a mob led by one Clark Hopswood seized the State House of Massachusetts, with Hopswood proclaiming himself the leader of Boston. Two days later, on November 10th, Hopswood sent an invitation to the Regulator Army, granting them control over Boston. With the surrender of Boston the Regulators controlled the vast majority of Massachusetts, but the red horse had yet to finish his ride across the commonwealth.