Early Republic

Shays's Rebellion

August 1786 through early February 1787
Massachusetts
Date
August 1786 through early February 1787
Location
Massachusetts
Type
other

What happened

Economic depression in rural Massachusetts led to an armed rebellion by farmers led by Daniel Shays, who attempted to seize the federal Springfield Armory. The rebellion was suppressed by state militia and a private force led by General Benjamin Lincoln.

People involved

When this happened

Shays's Rebellion occurred in August 1786 through early February 1787, during the early republic period of American history. The event spanned from 1786 to 1787.

Where this happened

Shays's Rebellion took place in Massachusetts. Explore the full history of Massachusetts and primary source records from this era.

Historical context — Early Republic

The early republic period saw the United States move from the weak Articles of Confederation to the federal Constitution ratified in 1788, with the Bill of Rights added in 1791. George Washington served two terms as president (1789–1797), establishing precedents for executive authority, and the federal capital moved permanently to Washington D.C. in 1800. The Louisiana Purchase (1803) doubled the nation's territory for roughly $15 million, opening vast trans-Mississippi lands to American expansion. The War of 1812 against Britain ended inconclusively but produced a surge of American national identity and eliminated most British support for Indigenous resistance east of the Mississippi. The Northwest Indian Wars (1785–1795) and the Creek War (1813–1814) broke Indigenous confederacies that had resisted US expansion. The Missouri Compromise of 1820 temporarily balanced slave and free states as the nation expanded westward, but embedded the contradiction of slavery in every subsequent territorial debate.

Source

Content adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Source: History of Massachusetts — Wikipedia.

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Native Heritage
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Massachusetts State Constitution Ratified
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About Shays's Rebellion

What was Shays's Rebellion?
Economic depression in rural Massachusetts led to an armed rebellion by farmers led by Daniel Shays, who attempted to seize the federal Springfield Armory. The rebellion was suppressed by state militia and a private force led by General Benjamin Lincoln.
When did Shays's Rebellion happen?
Shays's Rebellion occurred in August 1786 through early February 1787.
Where did Shays's Rebellion take place?
Shays's Rebellion took place in Massachusetts.

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