Shays's Rebellion: Authority and Distress in Post-Revolutionary America

Witness to History

by Sean Condon

Throughout the late summer and fall of 1786, farmers in central and western Massachusetts organized themselves into armed groups to protest against established authority and aggressive creditors. Calling themselves "regulators" or the "voice of the people," these crowds attempted to pressure the state government to lower taxes and provide relief to debtors by using some of the same methods employed against British authority a decade earlier. From the perspective of men of wealth and station, these farmers threatened the foundations of society: property rights and their protection in courts and legislature.

In this concise and compelling account of the uprising that came to be known as Shays’s Rebellion, Sean Condon describes the economic difficulties facing both private citizens and public officials in newly independent Massachusetts. He explains the state government policy that precipitated the farmers’ revolt, details the machinery of tax and debt collection in the 1780s, and provides readers with a vivid example of how the establishment of a republican form of government shifted the boundaries of dissent and organized protest.

Underscoring both the fragility and the resilience of government authority in the nascent republic, the uprising and its aftermath had repercussions far beyond western Massachusetts; ultimately, it shaped the framing and ratification of the U.S. Constitution, which in turn ushered in a new, stronger, and property-friendly federal government. A masterful telling of a complicated story, Shays’s Rebellion is aimed at scholars and students of American history.

Genres: History

176 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 18, 2015

About the author

Since 1996 I have published seven books, beginning with the genre-busting travelogue 'Sean & David's Long Drive' up to 2013's comic novel 'Splitsville', my most accomplished work so far. I've also had work in many anthologies, including 'The Best of McSweeney's Humor'. I also co-wrote an episode of an excellent and very funny sitcom which was made into a non-excellent and mostly terrible pilot (abysmal direction was to blame) as well as several quite-good feature screenplays, one of which was very nearly produced by Michael Bay. I've had columns and articles in newspapers and magazines all around the world. 'Sean & David's Long Drive' was short-listed for the WA Premier's Award and I've received three Australia Council literature grants. All of it while failing to carve out a successful career in advertising.

I live in Melbourne with my wife and daughter. (We have no pets but I promise that if we did we'd have a dog or cat, whichever is your preference.)

Books

Sean & David's Long Drive (Lonely Planet Journeys. 1996)

In 1995 my friend David O'Brien and I drove around the eastern half of Australia in an old Ford or Holden or something. (It was definitely light blue.) This very popular book, which was reprinted nine times, is the result.

"One of the funniest road stories in print." Toronto Globe and Mail
"Funny, pithy, kitch and surreal." Time Out London
"I enjoyed it immensely." Bill Bryson
"Condon can be quite funny." Times Literary Supplement
"An amusingly subversive commentary on stereotypical travel writing... shrewd as well as funny." The Age
"Condon is a cool wit who comes off like Hunter S Thompson on prescription drugs." The Australian

Drive Thru America (Lonely Planet Journeys. 1998)

In 1996, David O'Brien and I, still friends despite the previous year's ordeal, made the mistake of driving around the United States in a rented Chrysler Neon (white). We didn't have much fun. The book has an excellent cover - designed and painted by David - and is genre-busting and brilliant.
"Funny and high on popular culture, it is one of the most accurate accounts of how travellers really experience America, and the most fun." The Times (U.K)
"When it's good [it] reaches well-paced brilliance." The Independent On Sunday (U.K)
"Hilarious." The Philadelphia Enquirer
"Hilarious and cruel." Elle magazine
"Tedious, self-indulgent, unrelentingly unrewarding... a cautionary example of exactly how not to write a book about a road trip across the United States." Sonoma County Independent

My Dam Life (Lonely Planet Journeys. 2003)

A hilarious - and yet frequently moving - account of my first three years in Amsterdam with my wife Sally. Parts of it were even quoted in a speech by the Dutch prime minister, Jan Peter Balkenende, in April 2006. It is an excellent book - in fact, my very best. If you're thinking about going to Amsterdam then this is a great point of reference for you. Although it's more of a memoir than a travel book it is nevertheless full of interesting information about Amsterdam and, to a lesser degree, me. It's also pretty funny.

"Fans of offbeat travel literature rejoice! Stylistically and philosophically, Condon is as close to Bill Bryson as it's possible to be. He mixes fascinating facts with hilarious humor... and keeps us thoroughly in stitches from beginning to end. This one's an absolute must-read." Booklist
"A smart and funny book." San Francisco Chronicle
"Condon is a humorous chap from Australia who writes humorous books... in a David Sedaris sort of way - dry and ironic with a skewed sense of the absurdity of it all." Chicago Tribune

Film (4th Estate. 2003.)

A semi-autobiographical novel about obsession, ambition, failure and redemption. With a beautiful cover.

"A stunning tragi-comedy." Vogue
"Funny and touching... On present form [Condon] is a storyteller who will be delighting us for many years to come." The Bulletin magazine
"Notably lucid and imaginative... whim

Reviews

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this book had a good overview of Shays Rebellion, it was broken up weird making things hard to read & seemed like at times it was jumping around & not fully explaining things.

[Liam · Rating 4 out of 5]

"[T]he legislature passed a Riot Act, which empowered sheriffs, constables, and justices of the peace to read a proclamation before any group that threatened to use violence." (reading the "riot act", 69)

"Many of the men [regulators] headed to nearby Vermont, where they sought out friends or family to take them in and prevent them from being captured." (99)