Shays' Rebellion

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/shays-rebellion

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the duration of uprising?Approximately ten months, from August 1786 to June 1787
2. What is the geographic focus?Primarily western and central Massachusetts, with some spillover into Vermont
3. Why did farmers in Massachusetts get angry after the Revolutionary War?After the war, Massachusetts imposed heavy taxes to pay war debts, and farmers had little money and credit, so they felt the government was favoring rich creditors over them.
4. Who was Daniel Shays and what did he do?Daniel Shays was a farmer and former Continental Army captain who led the rebels, using his military experience to organize the protests and stop court actions that would seize farms.

Direct Taxes: Taxes levied directly on individuals or property, rather than on goods or services.
Hard Currency: Money that is widely accepted as a medium of exchange, typically gold or silver coins.
Paper Money: Currency issued by a government, not backed by precious metals, often used to ease economic conditions.
Federalism: A system of government where power is divided between a national government and regional governments.