Preceden

Shays' Rebellion Timeline

(August 1786–February 1787)

Shays' Rebellion was an armed uprising of Massachusetts farmers protesting debt, taxes, and economic hardship after the American Revolution. Less

Go to: Timeline | Event List | Key Facts | Directory

Economic and social conditions

Daniel Shays leaves the army unpaid

1780

In 1780, Daniel Shays resigned from the army without receiving his pay. He returned home and found himself in court for nonpayment of debts, an experience that connected his personal circumstances to the broader economic tensions in Massachusetts.

Image source: Daniel Shays

Daniel Shays leaves the army unpaid

Merchants lose access to European credit

1783

When the Revolutionary War ended in 1783, Massachusetts merchants' European business partners refused to extend lines of credit. They instead demanded payment in hard currency, despite the country-wide shortage of such currency.

Image source: Shays' Rebellion

Merchants lose access to European credit

Early protests and escalation

Job Shattuck leads a tax protest

1782

In 1782, Job Shattuck of Groton, Massachusetts, organized residents to physically prevent tax collectors from performing their duties. The action was an early protest against the state government.

Mob restores confiscated property in Uxbridge

Feb 3, 1783

On February 3, 1783, a larger-scale protest took place in Uxbridge, Massachusetts, near the Rhode Island border. A mob seized property confiscated by a constable and returned it to its owners.

Rhode Island resolves its unrest politically

1786

Matters were resolved without violence in Rhode Island after the country party gained control of the legislature in 1786. The legislature enacted measures requiring merchants to trade debt instruments for devalued currency.

Massachusetts legislature ignores rural petitions

1786

In August 1786, the Massachusetts legislature adjourned without considering the many petitions sent to Boston by rural communities. The failure to address these petitions helped turn rural protest into direct action.

Massachusetts protests escalate

Aug 1786

Protests in rural Massachusetts escalated into direct action in August 1786. The unrest reflected opposition to taxes, debt collection, and the policies of the state government.

Political consequences and memory

Governor Hancock resigns

1785

Governor John Hancock resigned in early 1785, citing health reasons. Some observers suggested that he anticipated trouble arising from the state's growing economic and political tensions.

Image source: John Hancock

Governor Hancock resigns

Influential leaders call for stronger government

1785

By early 1785, many influential merchants and political leaders had already agreed that the United States needed a stronger central government. Their position later shaped responses to the Massachusetts disturbances and debates over constitutional reform.

Delegates meet at Annapolis

Sep 11, 1786 - Sep 14, 1786

Shortly after Shays's Rebellion broke out, delegates from five states met in Annapolis, Maryland, from September 11 to 14, 1786. They concluded that vigorous steps were needed to reform the federal government.

Annapolis delegates call for a general convention

Sep 14, 1786

The Annapolis delegates disbanded because the meeting lacked full representation and authority. They called for a convention of all the states to meet in Philadelphia in May 1787.

Washington calls for constitutional reform

Oct 31, 1786

George Washington had been calling for constitutional reform for many years. In a letter to Henry Lee dated October 31, 1786, he discussed employing influence to appease the tumults in Massachusetts.

Image source: George Washington

Washington calls for constitutional reform

John Jay cites federal weakness

1787

In early 1787, John Jay wrote that the rural disturbances and the central government's inability to fund troops in response made the inefficiency of the federal government increasingly manifest.

Image source: John Jay

John Jay cites federal weakness

Shays receives few rural votes

1787

In the gubernatorial election of 1787, John Hancock received few votes from the rural parts of Massachusetts and was trounced by John Hancock. The result reflected the political divisions surrounding the rebellion.

Jefferson defends occasional rebellion

Jan 30, 1787

In a letter to James Madison dated January 30, 1787, Thomas Jefferson argued that occasional rebellion serves to preserve freedoms. His comment contrasted with calls for stronger authority in response to the Massachusetts unrest.

Image source: Thomas Jefferson

Jefferson defends occasional rebellion

Jefferson writes about the tree of liberty

Nov 13, 1787

In a letter to William Stephens Smith dated November 13, 1787, Jefferson wrote that the tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants, calling it its natural manure.

Massachusetts Federalists court ratification votes

1788

Massachusetts Federalists, including Henry Knox, actively courted swing votes during the debates leading up to the state's ratifying convention in 1788.

Rural delegates oppose ratification

Feb 6, 1788

When the vote was taken on February 6, 1788, representatives of rural communities involved in the rebellion voted against ratification by a wide margin.

Massachusetts ratifies the Constitution

Feb 6, 1788

A coalition of merchants, urban elites, and market-town leaders carried the ratification vote in Massachusetts. The state ratified the Constitution by a vote of 187 to 168.

Rebellion and suppression

Fighting spreads around Springfield

1786 - 1787

The fighting associated with Shays' Rebellion took place in areas around Springfield during 1786 and 1787. Springfield became a central point in the confrontation between the protesters and Massachusetts authorities.

Protesters target the Springfield Armory

1787

In 1787, the protesters marched on the federal Springfield Armory in an unsuccessful attempt to seize its weaponry and overthrow the government.

Daniel Shays becomes a rebel leader

1787

During the 1786–1787 disturbances, Daniel Shays emerged as a leading figure among the protesters. His name became attached to the rebellion and its forces.

Governor Bowdoin proposes a private militia

Jan 4, 1787

On January 4, 1787, Governor James Bowdoin proposed creating a privately funded militia army to confront the rebellion and restore state authority.

Shaysite forces are routed at Petersham

Feb 4, 1787

On the morning of February 4, 1787, General Benjamin Lincoln routed Shaysite forces at Petersham, Massachusetts. The action represented a major defeat for the rebel forces.

Massachusetts passes the Disqualification Act

Feb 16, 1787

On February 16, 1787, the Massachusetts legislature passed the Disqualification Act. The measure was intended to prevent a legislative response by sympathizers of the rebels.

John Bly and Charles Rose are executed

Dec 6, 1787

John Bly and Charles Rose were hanged on December 6, 1787, as part of the government's punitive response to the rebellion.

Shays is pardoned

1788

Daniel Shays was pardoned in 1788. Afterward, he returned to Massachusetts from hiding in the Vermont woods.

Shays moves to Conesus

1788

After returning from hiding in the Vermont woods, Daniel Shays later moved to the Conesus, New York, area. He died there poor and obscure in 1825.

Daniel Shays dies in New York

1825

Daniel Shays died in 1825 in the Conesus, New York, area, poor and obscure after his role in the Massachusetts rebellion.

Key Facts

  1. The rebellion began in western Massachusetts in August 1786, driven by high taxes, debt, foreclosures, and economic depression.
  2. Many participants were Revolutionary War veterans who struggled with unpaid wages and demanded relief from courts and creditors.
  3. Daniel Shays, a former Continental Army captain, became one of the rebellion's principal leaders.
  4. Massachusetts authorities and privately funded militia forces defeated the rebels in early 1787, including at the Springfield Armory.
  5. The uprising exposed weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation and helped build support for the Constitutional Convention of 1787.

Source

This Shays' Rebellion timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

We work hard to keep these timelines accurate, but mistakes do get through. If you spot one, email us at [email protected] and we'll fix it for future visitors.

Want a timeline like this one?

Generate yours with AI or build it from scratch, for free.

Try It for Free