After the Revolutionary War the economy in the US was in complete chaos. Trade had been opened up with Britain, but inflation soon plagued the colonies when the differing currencies could not hold up. Congress did not have the power to tax under the Articles of Confederation, so there was no revenue coming into the colonies. But the colonists wanted what the British had to offer in the way of goods, and they bought much of it on credit. Merchants that were struggling began calling in their payments, and they only wanted gold and silver which the colonists did not have.
The economic struggles began to filter down to small farmers who could not afford to pay, which caused a foreclosure crisis. Farmers in Massachusetts were losing their farms, and many of them ended up in jail for debt (which at the time was a jailable offense, thank goodness that has changed!). Tensions were rising in this class conflict between the haves: the landholders, slaveholders, and international merchants, and the have-nots: the small working class farmers, inner city workers, servants, free blacks, and small merchants. In late 1786 Daniel Shays organized a group of almost 700 men to arm against the foreclosures by any means necessary. The group marched into Springfield, surrounding the court house and seizing weapons against the government who would not help. Soon, he headed into Boston where the Eastern Massachusetts militia came out against the men. The authorities were allowed to jail anyone without a trial, so they dispersed some followers, arrested some followers, hanged some caught in the act, and others were pardoned with light punishments such as losing their political rights for three years. Shays went on the run and was later pardoned, but died in 1788 in rather poor conditions. After the rebellion the Congress realized that something needed to be done to strengthen the central government and fix the growing problems.
**These identifications are in no way a complete background, they are just a quick synopsis and meant to be a tool for quick research.
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