Daniel Shays (c.1741 - September 29 1825) is mostly known for leading an army of farmers in
Shays' RebellionShays' Rebellion was an armed uprising in central and western Massachusetts from 1786 to 1787. The rebellion is named after Daniel Shays, a veteran of the American Revolution who led the rebels, known as "Shaysites" or "Regulators". Most of Shays's compatriots were poor farmers angered by what...
, which was a tax revolt against the state government of Massachusetts from 1786-1787, and a key event in the early history of the United States. The rebellion underscored the weakness of the
Articles of ConfederationThe Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, commonly referred to as the Articles of Confederation, was the first constitution of the United States of America and legally established the union of the states. The Second Continental Congress appointed a committee to draft the Articles in June...
and played a significant part in the formation of the
United States ConstitutionThe Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme law of the United States. It is the foundation and source of the legal authority underlying the existence of the United States of America and the federal government of the United States...
.
Little but known of his early life although he was most likely born in
Hopkinton, MassachusettsHopkinton is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, just over west and south of Boston. The town is best known as the starting point of the Boston Marathon, held annually on Patriots' Day in April, and as the home of computer storage firm EMC Corporation....
in 1741.
Daniel Shays (c.1741 - September 29 1825) is mostly known for leading an army of farmers in
Shays' RebellionShays' Rebellion was an armed uprising in central and western Massachusetts from 1786 to 1787. The rebellion is named after Daniel Shays, a veteran of the American Revolution who led the rebels, known as "Shaysites" or "Regulators". Most of Shays's compatriots were poor farmers angered by what...
, which was a tax revolt against the state government of Massachusetts from 1786-1787, and a key event in the early history of the United States. The rebellion underscored the weakness of the
Articles of ConfederationThe Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, commonly referred to as the Articles of Confederation, was the first constitution of the United States of America and legally established the union of the states. The Second Continental Congress appointed a committee to draft the Articles in June...
and played a significant part in the formation of the
United States ConstitutionThe Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme law of the United States. It is the foundation and source of the legal authority underlying the existence of the United States of America and the federal government of the United States...
.
Early life and army service
Little but known of his early life although he was most likely born in
Hopkinton, MassachusettsHopkinton is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, just over west and south of Boston. The town is best known as the starting point of the Boston Marathon, held annually on Patriots' Day in April, and as the home of computer storage firm EMC Corporation....
in 1741. He married Abigail Gilbert on July 18, 1772 in
Brookfield, MassachusettsBrookfield is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 3,051 at the 2000 census.- History :Brookfield was first settled in 1660 and was officially incorporated in 1718. The town was settled by men from Ipswich as part of the Quabog Plantation lands, though the...
. In 1777, he was commissioned as a captain in the
5th Massachusetts RegimentThe 5th Massachusetts Regiment also known as the 27th Continental Regiment was raised on April 23, 1775 under Colonel Mansfield outside of Boston, Massachusetts. The regiment saw action at the Battle of Bunker Hill, New York Campaign, Battle of Trenton, Battle of Princeton...
and he participated in the battles of
Bunker HillThe Battle of Bunker Hill took place on June 17, 1775, mostly on and around Breed's Hill, during the Siege of Boston early in the American Revolutionary War...
, Ticonderoga,
SaratogaThe Battles of Saratoga, sometimes referred to as The Battle of Saratoga conclusively decided the fate of British General John Burgoyne's army in the American Revolutionary War, and are generally regarded as a turning point in the war...
and
Stony PointThe Battle of Stony Point was a battle of the American Revolutionary War fought on the night of July 15-16, 1779. A select force of Continental Army infantry made a coordinated surprise night attack and stormed a fortified position of the British Army on the Hudson River near West Point, New York...
. His
service recordA service record is a collection of either electronic or printed material which provides a documentary history of a person's activities and accomplishments while serving as a member of a given organization...
was notable, and he was awarded a ceremonial sword by the Marquis de Lafayette at the end of the war for distinguished service.
Rebels
After resigning from the army in 1780, Shays settled in
Pelham, MassachusettsPelham is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,403 at the 2000 census. It shares the same zip code as Amherst.Pelham is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
, where he served in several
local governmentLocal governments are administrative office that are smaller than a state. The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government....
positions. Economic conditions in the U.S., especially
western MassachusettsWestern Massachusetts is a loosely defined geographical region of the U.S. state of Massachusetts which contains the Berkshires and the Pioneer Valley...
, began a serious decline and, by 1786, Shays became one of several who took command of units of rebels. The uprising soon became known as the "
Shays' RebellionShays' Rebellion was an armed uprising in central and western Massachusetts from 1786 to 1787. The rebellion is named after Daniel Shays, a veteran of the American Revolution who led the rebels, known as "Shaysites" or "Regulators". Most of Shays's compatriots were poor farmers angered by what...
" after an encounter between a force of about 800 farmers under Shays, and a private militia unit of roughly the same size, at
SpringfieldSpringfield is the largest city on the Connecticut River and the county seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States.In the 2000 census, the city population was 154,082. It is the third largest city in Massachusetts and fourth largest in New England...
on September 26, 1786. Four men were killed- the first casualties of the rebellion - and many were wounded. Shays and his men were trying to prevent the Massachusetts Supreme Court from convening, fearing indictments against farmers in arrears.
By the winter of 1787, there was open fighting between government forces and rebels. After several skirmishes, Shays and his men were defeated at
Petersham, MassachusettsPetersham is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,180 at the 2000 census. Petersham is home to a considerable amount of conservation land, including the Quabbin Reservation, Harvard Forest, the Swift River Reservation, and Federated Women's Club State...
on February 2, 1787. Shays then fled to the
Vermont RepublicThe term Vermont Republic has been used by 20th and 21st century writers to describe the period of the U.S. state of Vermont from July 1777, when delegates met and declared independence from jurisdictions and land claims of British colonies in New Hampshire and New York, until its admission to the...
. Condemned to death
in absentiaIn absentia is Latin for "in the absence". In legal use it usually pertains to a defendant's right to be present in court proceedings in a criminal trial.-In absentia in common law legal systems:...
on a charge of
treasonIn law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more serious acts of disloyalty to one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife...
, Shays petitioned for amnesty in February 1788, and the petition was granted by
John HancockJohn Hancock was a merchant, statesman, and prominent Patriot of the American Revolution. He served as president of the Second Continental Congress and was the first governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts...
on June 13. Shays then relocated to
New YorkNew York is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous. The state is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Later life
Shays was later granted a $20 monthly
pensionIn general, a pension is an arrangement to provide people with an income when they are no longer earning a regular income from employment. It is a tax deferred savings vehicle that allows for the tax-free accumulation of a fund for later use as a retirement income...
by the federal government for his Revolutionary War service. He maintained for the rest of his life that his service in the Revolution and his fighting during the rebellion were for the exact same principles. He died in 1825 in
Sparta, New YorkSparta is a town in Livingston County, New York, United States. The population was 1,627 at the 2000 census.The Town of Sparta is in the southeast part of the county and is north of Dansville, NY.- History :...
impoverished and well-remembered for his role in the creation of the Constitution. Shays is buried in Scottsburg New York. During his life, he never allowed a portrait of himself to be made, so his true appearance remains unknown.