Answer:
Shays's Rebellion was a revolt led by Daniel Shays in Massachusetts over the issue of the foreclosure of farms due to economic issues in the state and nationwide. The Rebellion was important because it contributed to the writing of the new Constitution, by causing elites to fear similar uprisings in the future.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Articles of Confederation was the first form of organized federal government the United States employed following independence. The Articles made the federal government extremely weak and left most power to the states.Nothing highlighted this weakness better than the outbreak of Shays’ Rebellion and the powerlessness of the federal government to respond and react.
Shays’ Rebellion was an organized rebellion of western Massachusetts farmers and countrymen against the state of Massachusetts in 1786-1787. These farmers rebelled against the unjust collection of excessive taxes and seizure of property when taxes went uncollected.
Many of the rebels consisted of disgruntled former Continental army soldiers who went unpaid during the revolution. These poor farmers were now forced to give up their lands when they could not pay the high taxes imposed on them by the state governments.
After state leaders primarily from the eastern coastal area ignored peaceful attempts to come to a resolution, the protesters took more forceful means to protect their interests. They surrounded courthouses and state buildings and prevented government officials from following through with evictions and arrests.
The federal government was aware of the rebellion and the possibility of an attempt to take weapons from the federal armory in Springfield, MA. It soon found itself powerless to take any action given that it could not raise an army of its own nor levy taxes.
A militia privately funded by wealthy Massachusetts citizens ultimately countered the rebels and ended Shays’ Rebellion. Despite this, the rebellion highlighted the inherent weakness of the federal government and convinced the founding fathers the nation needed a new, stronger federal government.