Shay's Rebellion

The burden of taxes again fell on American citizens, as it had before independence made them citizens. In 1786, a Massachusetts citizen named Daniel Shays[?] decided he had had enough. He was a farmer who had fallen into debt like many other Americans because of high taxes. Now courts were threatening to take away his farm as payment for all of his debts. He felt they had no right to punish him for a problem that the state had created. A group of 1,200 farmers led by Shay marched on the federal arsenal in Springfield. The governor ordered state troops to break up the march. Shays and his followers were defeated on February 4, 1787 but word of rebellion spread.

In 1787 12 states sent delegates to a meeting in Philadelphia. Their purpose was to change the Articles of Confederation, but the subject changed to negotiations that were to lead to The United States Constitution.