The Continental Congress and state governments imposed a poll tax to pay for the Revolutionary war debts. The poll tax was based the same head tax, regardless of income. The poor farmers of Massachusetts were unable to pay the taxes, their lands were sold and many were thrown into debtors prison. Many of whom were veterans of the Revolutionary War, felt that they were being treated unfairly and they rebelled. Shays Rebellion was suppressed but it worried many American elites. They felt that it was one more piece of evidence showing that the new system of government was needed. They wanted a more powerful national government in which ended up in calling a constitutional convention which ended up writing a new constitution for the US.