When the legislature failed to respond to their petitions for change, Shays and his followers closed the courts and attempted to capture a federal arsenal of weapons in Springfield, MA. Referred to as Shays' Rebellion, this group of farmers, although defeated by the local militia, proved to many that issues of taxation would continue to stir up internal conflict unless managed by a strong national government. Reactions to Shays' Rebellion largely propelled politicians to favor a strengthening of the national government and encouraged their participation in the Constitutional Convention of 1787.

Popular pages: The Articles of Confederation (1781-1789)