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Shays's Rebellion: The American Revolution's Final Battle

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Richards' book on the Shays's Rebellion (or the "Regulation", as the rebels referred to it) is absolutely first rate. Six stars!

During the course of other research in the Massachusetts state archives, Richards came across a list of 4000 people who, upon participating in and losing the Shays Rebellion, had signed an oath of loyalty to the state of Massachusetts in order to be given clemency. Apparently, this list was in barely legible handwriting and had never been translated. The amazing breakthrough came when Richards decided to take this list, decipher the names, and find out who all the participants were, person by person. What he produces is a tremendously revealing and much more accurate account of the rebellion.

Through what must have been months of painstaking, dogged research Richards attempts to prove that we, today, have many misconceptions about the rebellion. Particularly, Richards makes a point that the rebels were more upset by very understandable abuses by the Boston-centered Massachusetts state government than by poverty. He also shows that the most important factor in recruiting rebels was their clan association. People joined almost exclusively as part of a clan, and this explains why some towns had widespread participation and others had minimal. He does a great job of fleshing out who the leaders and opponents were. A true local history project.

Richards also does a nice job of relating how the rebellion fit in with the national movement to form a stronger union among the states. This occurred in Philadelphia the next year at the Constitutional Convention. The rebellion played a very important part in our history that many today do not fully appreciate, and Richards does a fantastic job of putting it all together.

Last, three things. One, after reading this book I have a much better understanding of why the rural parts of the new nation feared Hamilton and his drive to strengthen Federal control. I also have a much better understanding for Hamilton's genius. You will, too. Two, I think it helps tremendously that Richards himself is a history professor based in Amherst, Massachusetts, in the heart of Shays country. You get the feeling that telling this story accurately is a labor of love for Richards, close to his heart. And three, apparently the possessive form of Shays in all the places I've seen it written is spelled "Shays's". That's right, "s's". It seems wrong, but that's how professor Richards and everyone else spell it. Go figure.

Do you hold dear, the Constitution of the United States? If you do, then you can thank the farmers involved in the Shay's Rebellion. This pivotal piece of early American history has been revisited by Professor Leonard L. Richards of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, in his book SHAY'S REBELLION: THE AMERICAN REVOLUTIONS FINAL BATTLE, and has brilliantly clarified some of the misconceptions revolving around the event, particularly its cause.

In previous popular belief, it has been widely held that the farmers revolted due to their being dragged into a global market, which forced them into debt. This rather simplistic view misses many crucial elements, to which Dr. Richards superbly lends enlightment. The principle causes ran much deeper than that. Primarily, the farmers were being overtaxed and forced to pay creditors at the benefit of Revolutionary War bondholders, who were typically, either members of the Massachusetts Legislature or closely related to someone who was.

Ultimately, their revolt ended up helping in the ratification of the Constitution that we enjoy today. Richard's book also gives a slant contrary to popular thought, that the farmers of the Shay's Rebellion did in fact gain victory. Though they opposed the Constitution and their rebellion was squashed, it did result in substantial tax relief from the legislature.

I was also delighted to find a cameo appearance in the book of Mumbet, aka Elizabeth Freeman, the slave who sued for her freedom. Upon the outcome of her successful lawsuit, all slaves in Massachusetts were emancipated. Her story appears in Richard's book for her part in protecting from the Regulators, the valuables of Theodore Sedgwick, for whom she worked and had also served as her legal counsel.

At just over 200 pages, this is a quick and easy read, with no fluff added to fill more pages. Richard's writes succinctly and has done a brilliant job of shedding new light on the Shay's Rebellion.

Monty Rainey
www.juntosociety.com

Shay's Rebellion: The American Revolution's Final Battle by Leonard L. Richards (Professor of History, University of Massachusetts) provides a detailed and scholarly look at the farmer's revolt in 1786-87 that drew General George Washington out of retirement, and ultimately forced the Articles of Confederation of a fledgling nation to be scrapped in exchange for what was to become the American Constitution. A meticulous, thoroughly researched, deftly written study of a pivotal point in American political and military history, Shays's Rebellion is very highly recommended reading for students and scholars of American History.

A terrific read. The book is very well written and dramatically gripping. I learned a lot and enjoyed the journey.

Good book about something my US history teacher failed to mention or did not dwell on. This book is a must buy for those interested in the founding of this country,and a historical perspective of tax and monetary policy.

The book got delivered on time and it was in really good condition. i had no problems so far