Shays' Rebellion and the Constitution in American History

by Mary E. Hull

Describes the attempted revolt of Massachusetts farmers and yeomen which revealed the instability of the Articles of Confederation and the need for a stronger Constitution

112 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Mary Hull holds a B.A. in History from Brown University. She is the author of many works of nonfiction for young readers, including Shay's Rebellion and the Constitution, The Boston Tea Party in American History, Mary Todd Lincoln, The Mongol Empire, and The Travels of Marco Polo.

Reviews

[Robert Muller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent, well-written account of Shays' Rebellion with great references and pictures. It's written at a level suitable for middle schoolers but conveys college-level information succinctly and well.

[Bruce Fogerty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up because it was the only work our local library had that covered the history of Shays’ Rebellion in 1787 Massachusetts. This book, although targeted at budding, rather than established “scholars” is a worthy read for both young and old.

It depicts the social, economic, and political tensions between farm interests and merchant interests in pre constitution Massachusetts and American society. It also demonstrates the inherent weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation and exposes how they were totally inadequate to the political needs of the early US.

The one thing that this history impressed me with is the paramount importance of the freedoms found in the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights; that of freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and the freedom of religion. Indeed, the State of Massachusetts, to address the growing instability in the State, passed laws that curtailed these very freedoms. Without Shay’s rebellion, these rights may not have not have endured in our society today.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very interesting and concise book on a relatively unknown period in American history that is immediately after the Revolutionary War and before the US Constitution was written. Well written with source notations, timeline, and further reading recommendations. The book assumes the reader has a substantial prior understanding of the Revolutionary War and its causes.