Hello and welcome to a history of the United States. Episode 155, Shea's Rebellion. During the early years of the

American Republic, it was acknowledged by leaders such as Washington and Madison that the

catalyst for the adoption of the U.S. Constitution was Shea's Rebellion. In the years since, historians have tended to agree with them.

We've spent the past two episodes exploring the chaos of the critical period in the 1780s.

There was a political crisis brewing, given the weakness of the Continental Congress established

by the Articles of Confederation, and there was an economic crisis unfolding

across the continent. A post-war depression erupted, which combined with an economic Cold War

with Britain and a liquidity crisis due to a lack of hard currency to form a perfect storm.

The debtors needed relief, and the creditors needed to be paid in hard currency rather

than valueless paper money. There emerged two competing parties in many of the states,

debtors and creditors. All of these factors were kindling, just waiting for the fire to catch,

and, as it always seems to, the fire

court in Massachusetts. We'll zoom in the narrative, as we've often done, to Boston,

this time in August 1786. The state government was experiencing a shortage of money,

and there was disagreement within the state on the best way to handle this. The state government was experiencing a shortage of money, and there was disagreement within the state on the best way to handle this.

The state government, led by Governor James Bowden, initially planned to raise the money through greater levels of taxation.

But, as we discussed last time, there was very little money that the rural farmers had.

John Adams commented at the time that the people would be unable to afford the levels of taxation being requested of them.

The farmers had a different idea.

They wanted the state to issue lower value paper money which could be used to pay off the debts.

This measure was opposed by the merchants of Boston, who would lose out if the currency was devalued.

And, as we've discussed many times before, the merchants of Boston had a great influence on the Massachusetts Assembly.

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