Shays Rebellion analysis

Due to the divide between the two classes, the weakness in the structure of the government was identified. George Richards Minot played a very key role in the Shay’s Rebellion. George was a lawyer from Boston who was very angry about the court closings. He urged that Daniel Shays be decapitated. The conflict started in the 1780’s a period when a political issue arose among the countries. The high levies were due to the revolutionary war. The veterans were unable to pay their debts when they returned to their farms. The creditors were ready to start taking away their property and the government sided with the creditors. Many farmers lost their farms, were put into prison, lost their ability to vote and could not provide for their families.

So as to prevent the actions of the creditors, some steps were taken where the farmers came out to urge the issuing of paper money to pay debts easily and they also stressed on the “stay laws” where they could delay in fulfilling the payments meant for the creditors (Richards, 2002). The merchant elites took it up and started accusing the farmers of seeking a wealth leveling reform where they thought that the private property could be diminished without the basis of the federal government. As a result of the rebellion by the farmers, Governor Bowdoin did propose that an army is formed. This army was to be led by General Lincoln and its aim was to bring to an end the armed protests that were taking place.

The elites based in Boston did respond to this call by raising money to fund the army. They also urged their sons to join the army so as to deal with the farmers (Richard, 2002). They had come up with a way of changing the system whenever it failed. Their attempts to petition had been ignored. These men had been part of the team that had fought for the freedom of the country and would only realize later that the local government was enacting the same laws that had been there prior to the revolution. They did frighten the powers and initiated the change of the ineffective Articles of Confederation into the Constitution of the United States. The constitution is a document that is powerful than any office or man in the United States.