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Leonard L. Richards

Shays's Rebellion: The American Revolution's Final Battle Hardcover – Download: Adobe Reader, July 11, 2002

by Leonard L. Richards (Author)

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During the bitter winter of 1786-87, Daniel Shays, a modest farmer and Revolutionary War veteran, and his compatriot Luke Day led an unsuccessful armed rebellion against the state of Massachusetts. Their desperate struggle was fueled by the injustice of a regressive tax system and a conservative state government that seemed no better than British colonial rule. But despite the immediate failure of this local call-to-arms in the Massachusetts countryside, the event fundamentally altered the course of American history. Shays and his army of four thousand rebels so shocked the young nation's governing elite—even drawing the retired General George Washington back into the service of his country—that ultimately the Articles of Confederation were discarded in favor of a new constitution, the very document that has guided the nation for more than two hundred years, and brought closure to the American Revolution.

The importance of Shays's Rebellion has never been fully appreciated, chiefly because Shays and his followers have always been viewed as a small group of poor farmers and debtors protesting local civil authority. In Shays's Rebellion: The American Revolution's Final Battle, Leonard Richards reveals that this perception is misleading, that the rebellion was much more widespread than previously thought, and that the participants and their supporters actually represented whole communities—the wealthy and the poor, the influential and the weak, even members of some of the best Massachusetts families.

Through careful examination of contemporary records, including a long-neglected but invaluable list of the participants, Richards provides a clear picture of the insurgency, capturing the spirit of the rebellion, the reasons for the revolt, and its long-term impact on the participants, the state of Massachusetts, and the nation as a whole. Shays's Rebellion, though seemingly a local affair, was the revolution that gave rise to modern American democracy.

Print length

216 pages
Language

English
Publisher

University of Pennsylvania Press
Publication date

July 11, 2002
Dimensions

6.5 x 1 x 9.5 inches
ISBN-10

0812236696
ISBN-13

978-0812236699
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

American history books have long insisted that Shay's Rebellion (1786-1787) the Massachusetts insurrection that pulled George Washington out of retirement and ultimately sped the revision and ratification of the Constitution was an uprising of poor, indebted farmers. University of Massachusetts Amherst history professor Leonard L. Richards begs to differ. In his Shay's Rebellion: The American Revolution's Final Battle, Richards investigates the identities of the rebels and argues that they were generally not poor at all, and that scholars have misunderstood the causes of this pivotal revolt.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

"A carefully argued and spiritedly told account."—Boston Globe

"Serves a valuable purpose by fleshing out a crucial period when the fate of the American democratic experiment hung in the balance."—American History

"Recommended for all library collections at every level."—Choice

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ University of Pennsylvania Press; 1St Edition (July 11, 2002)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 216 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0812236696
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0812236699
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.3 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.5 x 1 x 9.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #3,553,612 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #6,811 in U.S. Revolution & Founding History
- #83,777 in U.S. State & Local History

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R. L. Huff

In-depth analysis

Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2021

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Professor Richards has done a thproughly professional forensic exam of "Shays' Rebellion" in western Massachusetts. Surprisingly, there was still enough surviving data to do so, though it had to be mined by someone knowing what to look for. What emerged was a "tax revolt" story that seems parallel to modern "Tea Party" tempests, until one recalls there was no FDIC in the American Confederacy to relieve creditors faced with insolvency. Putting the screws on the taxable by manipulating state government led Massachussetts to the verge of civil war.

Professor Richards demonstrates that the revolt was hardly a "class war", nor universal among the indebted or revolutionary war veterans, but it was certainly a "people's movement" against the One Percent of the time Despite widespread civil disgust with the new system and its corruption, the minority that actually did revolt were largely acting in response to local politics and under local leadership. Even so it was enough to scare both Boston and General Washington. The result was the "anti-mob" constitution still in effect, with its checks, balances, and Electoral College.

What is ironic is that modern Shaysites - the January '21 stormers of Washington - were surely *not* standing on this constitution, designed specfically to deligitimize this very kind of armed "peoples' protest." Washington himself would have ordered them "reduced" in the same manner as the Governor of Msssachussetts, whose actions he heartily endorsed, with trials and nooses following. A warning to 2nd-Amendment fanatics who really do not know their sacred scripture nor how it truly originated.

2 people found this helpful

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Howard Schulman

Six stars!!

Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2006

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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.

41 people found this helpful

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David Parker

here is the most concise analysis of how the best of men who fought the War for Independence and ...

Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2016

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To all who wish to understand how our freedom was nipped in the bud, here is the most concise analysis of how the best of men who fought the War for Independence and cherished freedom were ensnared again by the worst of men. It is the story of how the Revolution was betrayed and how the central government was planted.

10 people found this helpful

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George N. Wells

What really happened?

Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2015

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Like the Articles of Confederation, Shay's Rebellion is one of those periods of American history that gets glossed over. Richards did his research and uncovers the unpleasant fact that the original states weren't exactly bastions of democracy and fairness. Many of them still saw the world through the view of monarchs and royals (which was ascribed to the wealthiest) and with rank comes privilege. What Richards does is peel back the standard explanations and exposes the flaws, No, this wasn't an isolated incident - most states had similar rebellions, nor was this a single bad actor (Shays was never the main instigator). My take-away is that the people wanted a representative democracy and the leaders wanted to concentrate wealth and power in the hands of the few. In the end we got The Constitution as well as the continuing arguments for the Articles of Confederation.

8 people found this helpful

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Millicent J. Rose

shays's rebellion

Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2014

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The book was informative particularly when considering recent events where citizens are claiming our government's actions are unprecedented and unconstitutional. This book indicates that the government of the US did all this before. I found myself supporting the government's actions then as I do now. However the men involved in Shays's Rebellion had justice and decency on their side while I question Hamilton's and especially Washington's motivations. Unfortunately this book was clearly written for serious historians not mere visitors like me.

4 people found this helpful

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Elizabeth

Thanks

Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2020

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Fast shipping, good value.

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TAPSTER

Politico's doing what they do.

Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2017

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Good example of politicians doing what they do and the working Joe expected to pick up the pieces. A unique perspective on Shay's that would benefit those that think officials are a benevolent group looking after the hoi polloi's interest.

3 people found this helpful

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Dave Robison

Excellent Research!

Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2017

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Incredibly detailed, well-researched history of the events leading up to, through and after the "Rebellion."

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