Shay's Rebellion: The First American Civil War

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Shays’ Rebellion

Over a thousand men stood ready for battle, all with a common objective of taking the federal arsenal in Springfield Massachusetts followed by marching on Boston with their new weaponry. A soft five-foot blanket of snow and 1200 militia troops was all that stood in their way. Both sides worried beyond belief for starting a full blow civil war.
All of this tension started years ago when Washington retired stepping down as president, leaving the new nation that found so much guidance in him. The 1780’s or “The Critical Period” were a time of deep depression every state had their disagreements, causing riots all over the new formed country. The biggest difficulty was that the states were enforcing massive tax to pay back debt from wartime. The revolution crippled and saddened the countryside; buildings destroyed and countless men killed fighting for …show more content…
Shays would have a strategy consisting of his men moving in from three different angles surrounding the 1200 men. Shays’ army now in three separate groups has to communicate through messengers on foot consequently resulting for one being captured fouling the whole plan. The mercenary army general now knows Shays every move, every detail to the time of attack. The attack begins as the two groups move in on the arsenal as the third group unknowingly waits. Shays’ men are shot wounding many and killing four. The army of farmers now retreats into the woods, regrouping 40 miles away and three days later. Shays’ then begs for help from the rest of the countryside to send reinforcements, however his plea in never answered. Shays made it safely to Vermont while the once 1500 strong army is now depleted. The rebellion is over. The captured rebels were now imprisoned and sentence to hang. However all but three end up being pardoned the last minute nearly escaping

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