Daniel Shays
1747–1825
Hopkinton; Pelham; Springfield
Daniel Shays grew up in Massachusetts and served as an officer during the American Revolution. After the war, many farmers faced debts, taxes, and the possibility of losing their farms. Shays became one leader in a movement that tried to stop courts from handling debt cases. In 1787, armed protesters approached the Springfield Arsenal and were driven back. The wider uprising became known as Shays' Rebellion. Supporters and opponents described it very differently. Studying their arguments helps explain the difficult debates over representation, economic hardship, and government power in the new United States.
You can use your device’s reading tools or read with a partner.
Find a detail. Build an idea.
- What did this person or group do? Point to a detail in the reading.
- Whose voice did this person bring into public decisions?
- What would you like to find out next? Which kind of source could help?
“Daniel Shays mattered because ___. A detail that supports my idea is ___.”
Grades 6–8: dig deeper
What evidence would help you compare the protesters' goals with the government's reasons for stopping them?
Follow the evidence.
This short reading is an original classroom summary. Open the source with your teacher to check details and learn more.
Read the source: shaysrebellion.stcc.edu ↗Ask: Who made this source? What can it tell us? What might it leave out?