Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
Emma Kowal
What caused Shays Rebellion? Why was it so significant?
Length of Lesson: 75 minutes
Overview: In this lesson, students will look at Shays Rebellion and how the Articles
of Confederation led up to this event by using three different resources. We will then
discuss why the rebellion was so significant and how it led the government to create
the Constitution at the Constitutional Convention.
Objectives:
Students will list the problems America faced under the Articles of
Confederation. (5-U3.3.2)
Students will describe why the Constitutional Convention came together and
why they needed to create the constitution. (5 U3.3.3)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.L.4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown
and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using context clues, analyzing
meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized reference
materials, as appropriate.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.L.2: Demonstrate command of the conventions of
standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the
development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and
audience.
D2. His.6.3-5. Describe how peoples perspectives shaped the historical
sources they created.
D2.His,10.3-5. Compare information provided by different historical sources
about the past.
D2.His.11.3-5. Infer the intended audience and purpose of a historical source
from information within the source itself.
Anticipated student conceptions or challenges to understanding: Students
may have previous misconceptions or gaps in understanding from the previous
lesson that introduced the unit with the Articles of Confederation simulation to
demonstrate its weaknesses. I plan to address these by providing the students with
more information about the American people and how the Articles of Confederation
impacted them on a personal level. This will help them to picture the weaknesses
beyond the national and state levels and to understand that the lives of Americans in
the post-war America were filled with complications. The texts that were chosen for
this lesson will help paint a picture in the minds of the students from personal
accounts about Shays Rebellion and how it impacted the country as a whole.
Students may struggle to interpret the documents, so they will need to be
appropriately scaffolded and discussed as a class in addition to small groups.
Materials/Evidence/Sources:
Document 1
Springfield Jan. 26. 1787
Sir,
The unhappy time is come in which we have been obliged to shed
blood. Shays, who was at the head of about twelve hundred men, marched
yesterday afternoon about four oclock, towards the public buildings in
battle array. He marched his men in an open column by platoons.
I sent several times by one of my aids, & two gentlemen, Captains
Buffington & Woodbridge, to him to know what he was after, or what
he wanted. His reply was, he wanted barracks, & barracks he
would have & Stores. The answer returned was he must purchase
them dear, if he had them. He still proceeded on his march
until he approached within two hundred & fifty yards of the
arsenal. He then made a halt. I immediately sent Major
Lyman, one of my aids, & Capt. Buffington to inform him
not to march his troops any nearer the Arsenal on his peril,
as I was stationed here by order of your Excellency & the
Secretary of War, for the defense of the public property, in
case he did I should surely fire on him & his men. A
Mr. Wheeler, who appeared to be one of Shays' aids, met Mr. Lyman,
after he had delivered my order in the most peremptory manner,
& made answer, that that was all he wanted. Mr. Lyman
returned with his answer. Shays immediately put his troops in
motion, & marched on rapidly near one hundred yards. I then
ordered Major Stephens, who commanded the Artillery, to fire
upon them. He accordingly did. The two first shot he
endeavored to overshoot them, in hopes they would have
taken warning without firing among them, but it had no
effect on them. Major Stephens then directed his shot thro'
the center of his column. The fourth or fifth shot put
their whole column into the utmost confusion. Shays made
an attempt to display the column, but in vain. We had one
howitz which was loaded with grape shot, which when fired, gave
them great uneasiness. Had I been disposed to destroy them, I
might have charged upon their rear & flanks with my Infantry
& the two field pieces & could have killed the greater part of
his whole army within twenty-five minutes. There was not a
single musket fired on either side. I found three men dead
on the the spot & one wounded, who is since dead. One of our Artillery
men by inattention was badly wounded. Three muskets were
taken up with the dead, which were all deeply loaded. I enclose
to your excellency a copy of a paper sent to me last evening. I have
received no reinforcement yet, & expect to be attacked this day
by their whole force combined.
Document 2
Document 3