Articles of Confederation & Shay's Rebellion
What were some of Shay's and other farmer's complaints?
The farmers who fought in the Revolutionary War had received little compensation. Meaning that a lot of poor farmers went broke after the war due to war debt.
What were the 2 achievements of the Articles of Confederation?
Bringing the Revolutionary War to a successful conclusion, and North West Ordinance (plan for governing the western lands)
What where some strengths of the Articles of Confederation?
Declare War, Make Peace, Establish an Army/Navy, Sign Treaties, Borrow money, and to establish a post office.
Definition of Federalism
Federalism means you have a government where power is split. (State & National Government(s) have equal power.)
What were some weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?
No power to draft soldiers, no power to enforce treaties, no power to collect taxes from states, and difficult to pass laws (2/3 of votes had to vote yes in order to pass a law.) Those are a few of the weaknesses, there where more weaknesses than strengths in the Articles of Confederation.
What did the opposition think about rebelling? (People like Sam Adams)
Rebelling against a king was one thing, Adams believed, but "the man who dares rebel against the laws of a republic ought to suffer death."
What happened to Shay after the rebellion?
Shay was thrown in jail like other farmers that were apart of the rebellion.
What weaknesses of the Articles contributed to Shays' Rebellion?
Shay's Rebellion showed the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation. When the central government couldn't put down the rebellion, the first stirrings of federalism began to gather strength. It showed how the government could indeed in fact force taxation without representation.
What was Jefferson's view point?
Shays' Rebellion — a sometimes-violent uprising of farmers angry over conditions in Massachusetts in 1786 — prompted Thomas Jefferson to express the view that "a little rebellion now and then is a good thing" for America.
What was the Articles of Confederation?
The Articles of Confederation, drafted in 1777, was the first constitution of the United States.
Why Did the Founding Fathers believe the Articles needed to be replaced by the US Constitution?
The nation needed to function as ONE united country & not 13 small unorganized nations. Shay's rebellion proved the need to strengthen the government.
Why did the Founding Fathers Choose a Confederation plan of government?
They feared that a strong central government would create tyranny, and stamp out the peoples natural God given rights.
What was Shay's Rebellion?
a rebellion by American farmers against state and local enforcement of tax collections for debt because they didn't want to be "tax(ation)ed without representation"
Definition of a Confederation
a style of government that we call "federalist". Where the states have way more power than the national government.