Dbq Shays Rebellion

Shortly after the Revolution, America was left to govern itself. States were really countries ruling themselves and not long after, many problems occur. This led to the true last battle of the American Revolution, also known as Shays’ Rebellion when Daniel Shays led an armed rebellion in Springfield, Massachusetts to protest against the government for unjust economics and corrupt politics. Many believe Shays’ Rebellion to be unnatural and horrid, but it was justified by the Regulators’ actions as a response to the inadequate government. Based on the economy, the Articles of Confederation, the Constitution, the letter from Washington, the letter from Jefferson, and the letter from Shays, Shays’ Rebellion was justified by the Regulators for

farmers who had a difficulty making a living off of the crop because of the work that

In the late nineteenth century, small farmers faced increasing economic insecurities. Millions of tenant farmers were stuck in poverty due to the sharecropping system in the South.Farmers in the south weren't the only ones facing difficult times; farmers in the west had to mortgage their property to purchase seeds, fertilizer, and equipment. Farmers who mortgaged their property faced the chances of losing their farms when they were unable to repay their bank loans. Farmers then sought out to find a solution for their condition by going through the Farmers’ Alliance and the

In order to do this, the new Agricultural Adjustment Administration paid landowners to take property out of production. What ended up happening was

later, brought rural farmers’ grievances into the picture after their land was destroyed during the

After reading an excerpt from Daniel Gray’s verbalization, I accede that Shays “Rebellion” was a fight for liberation. First of all, one of the reasons the people decided to revolt is the money from taxes wasn’t used to pay off the peregrine debt. In document A, the text states, “Instead it is being used to pay off investments that are held by wealthy

Chop! Chop! You hear as they behead large amounts of people using a guillotine also nicknamed the “national razor”. This machine was invented by, Dr. Joseph Ignace Guillotin, which consisted of a heavy weighted angled blade that would slide down and behead the person who was sentenced to death. People liked the invention because it was fast, efficient, and painless. This was the beginning of the eighteen month period known as the Reign of Terror. It started when the horrible leader, King Louis the sixteenth was guillotined at the public square on January 21st of 1793. This era was led by Maximilien Robespierre and he believed that the government was there to protect the peaceful citizens. If anyone said anything negative about the way they

The Populists took major issues with the capitalists and monopolies of the era. In their party’s platform (Document A), the Populists say that the land is “concentrated in the hands of the capitalists.” This prevented the small farmer from living the American Dream of building a successful life for himself and his family. A common view for farmers was expressed by James B. Weaver in 1892 (Document F), who believed that the monopolies of the era were “organized to destroy competition and restrain trade.” These large scale farms caused overproduction, causing an “alarming fall in the price of wheat (Document E).” This price fall caused a chain reaction of events that all had the same effect, small farmers being crippled by loss of income.

In the late 1800’s, America’s farmers faced deep financial insecurity with the fall of agricultural prices that kept them in poverty. Many farmers borrowed money from merchants and banks, and when it came time to repay their loans, they found themselves in the face of losing their land. Their financial troubles mainly attributed to the high freight rates that railroads charged the farmers in order to transport their crops, as well as high interest rates charged by loaners. This financial turmoil lead to the development of the Farmers’ Alliance, which advocated for lower interest rate loans by the Federal Government itself, so that way the farmers didn’t have to depend on independent banks and merchants for financial assistance. The Farmers’ Alliance eventually gained traction in politics and eventually formed itself into the People’s Party, or otherwise known as the Populist Party.

As the capitalists continued their corruption, “the wealthy class became wealthier; but the poorer class became more dependant. The gulf between the employed and the employer was growing wider” (Document A). Similarly, many actions performed by these capitalists, contributed to the sorrowful lives of many farmers, who were struggling to survive.

The Federalist were aware of the people’s fears, but they were just hungry for a strong central government. The danger of a strong central government is a threat to the state governments, and is a threat against citizens own rights. During the 1780’s to 1790’s the U.S. was still in a trial and error period. These were the building years of the U.S. government.

Bankers- High interest rates caused the farmers to pay even more when they didn't have the money to pay.

     High prices forced farmers to concentrate on one crop. The large-scale farmers bought expensive machines, increasing their crop yield. This caused the smaller farmers to be left behind. The small farmers could no longer compete and were forced give up their farms and look for jobs in the cities. The smaller farmers

They were held captives of their own free will on their own lands. Overwhelmed by the Party, resistance was fruitless since they were persuaded by sleep deprivation, humiliation, and degradation. The people became broken spirits in appearance. It was a silent war between the communists and the collective farmers. Dolot exhibits a hidden pride in the farmers by writing of their subtle resistances, sabotages, and stubborn survival.

Although unsuccessful, this type of forced riot exemplifies the Westerners having a vendetta against the migrators and trying to interfere with their life to force them out of their homeland. An additional example is the issue of weighing cotton for pay; owners fixed the scales to avoid paying workers the correct amount. At the end of the day, people need money to eat and provide for their families and those with the most money have the easiest time surviving. The message taken from this is that, in order to survive, these people had to fight and outsmart each other in human versus human type interactions; may the best man win.