Shay's Rebellion: A Major Turning Point In American History

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Recommended: A comparison of the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution

Between the years of 1786 and 1787, there were a series of protests that were given the name “Shays’s Rebellion”. These protests consisted of farmers, who were unhappy with their situations in regards to taxes and debts. Shays’s Rebellion occurred in New England, and was the most prevalent in Massachusetts. The revolt was named after Daniel Shays, who was one of the leaders of this large rebellion. Shays’s Rebellion was a major turning point in American history because it influenced changing The Articles of Confederation, it resulted in tax relief and a moratorium on debt, and it raised public awareness. Shay’s Rebellion’s biggest impact on America is that it influenced a change in The Articles of Confederation, which led to the Constitution. The Constitution is what the United States is and its government are centered around. Shays’s Rebellion caused a sense of urgency to do something about the growing movement to form a new constitution for the nation. According to Thomas …show more content…

It made people aware of events that were going on, what was going on with their government, and how weak it was. Thomas Jefferson said that revolts were a necessary evil, and one of the reasons for that was that it promoted general awareness of public affairs. This general awareness promotes a country populated with well-educated people who can make proper choices to influence their country. This is how people realized that The Articles of Confederation needed to be revised, since the government was terrible under it. Obviously, Shays’s rebellion made a major impact on American history, and was a major turning point. It caused national awareness of the government and current events, it resulted in many farmers with opportunities, and most importantly, it helped cause a change in The Articles of Confederation, which led to the Constitution. America would be completely different today if Shays’s Rebellion had never

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