Question

shays rebellion: crisis in the infant u.s. republic
ctions: revisit the text to find the best answer to each question.

1. what was the main reason for shays rebellion?

a. farmers were angry about the articles of confederation.
b. farmers wanted to continue fighting the british.
c. farmers were unhappy with high taxes and unfair treatment.
d. farmers were upset about the destruction of american ships

1. read the section massachusetts musters an army. select the paragraph that suggests the citizens of massachusetts had mixed feelings about the rebellion.

(a) just like with the american revolution, these americans resisted high taxes and an unresponsive government that was far away. this time people werent resisting the british government across the atlantic. massachusetts settlers were angry with the new republican government in boston.
(b) soon events erupted into a full-scale revolt. the resistors came under the leadership of daniel shays, a former captain in the continental army. his followers were called shaysites. some thought of the shaysites as heroes in the direct tradition of the american revolution. many others saw them as dangerous rebels whose actions might topple the young republican government. the shaysites were the most extreme example of what could happen in the tough times brought on by the economic crisis.
(c) james bowdoin, the governor of massachusetts, saw the shaysites as dangerous. bowdoin organized a strong military force to confront the rebels. he received lots of money from eastern businessmen, who wanted to see the resistance fail. this armed force crushed the movement in the winter of 1786 - 1787, and the shaysites quickly fell apart when faced with this strong state army.

1. fill in the blank. the author mainly conveys the importance of shays rebellion by -------

(a) comparing shays to generals who led troops in the revolutionary war.
(b) comparing laws in massachusetts to laws in surrounding states.
(c) explaining how the federal government was ultimately improved.
(d) explaining that massachusetts voters turned against gov. bowdoin

Explanation:

For question 1, Shays' Rebellion was mainly due to farmers' dissatisfaction with high taxes and unfair treatment. Option C aligns with this historical context. For question 2, paragraph B shows that some saw Shaysites as heroes (like in the American Revolution tradition) and others as dangerous rebels, indicating mixed feelings. For question 3, Shays' Rebellion highlighted the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and was a factor in the move to improve the federal government (e.g., leading to the Constitutional Convention).

Answer:

1. C. Farmers were unhappy with high taxes and unfair treatment.
2. B
3. C. explaining how the federal government was ultimately improved.