I've been doing some research into some of the early rebellions in US history and one of the major things connecting them was that they all took place in the western US (at the time of course). So i've started on a ATL with a different Shays Rebellion and have gotten to the election of Adams. So please tell me wha tyou think.
The years between the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution were terbulent times in which the pressures of establishing control as a united country eventualy led to the mostly unknown yet vastly important rebellion led by Daniel Shays. A highly decorated captian in the revolutionary war he become angry at the increasing debts being placed on small farmers, of which he was one. Finaly a deteriorating economy in early 1786, esspecialy felt in his residence of western Massachusets, led Shays and 800 armed farmers to blockade the Supereme Court from convening. Eventualy a similar sized private milita arrived at the seen. Although it remained peaceful, violence was eventualy sparked when a rumor circulated that the Supereme Court had ruled indictments against farmers. Shays and his farmers began to march on the court house and fighting quickly erupted between the private milita and Shays’s farmers. Over 100 milita and farmers were killed with three times that amount being wounded and although the farmers was the better off they were forced to flee upon news of a second private army approching.
Regrouping Shays gathered nearly 2500 armed farmers who still believed in the rumour that circulated earlier while also being shocked at the violence that erupted earlier. Shays then preceded to lead a attack on the disorganized privated armies that where scattered throughout Massachusets, destroying many before they could join togather. Yet Shays was defeat at Petersham and Manshaven Massachusets to state militia a forced him to surrender what was left of his army. And all though Shays was the only one to be charged for treason deep resentment remained in New England farmers at what they perceved to be an attempt to silince their voice in government. Yet Shays Rebellion (as it is now called) highlighted some, on latter did it happen in the Annapolis Convention.
After President Washingtons was elected as the first precident of the United States his first actions were to stabilise the country after the Shays Rebellion and his second to begin to construct a working government. Washington was extremely succesful with his second action by establishing the Supreme Court in 1789, the Bill of Rights in 1791, and the First Bank of the United States in the same year. He also saw the rise of the slave economy with the advent of the cotton gin in in 1793, while passing the 11th Amendment in 1795, and finally accepting five new states into the Union. Yet with his success at starting and managing a government he was largely a failure when it came to uniting the populouse and, ironicly, the battles fought against the latter rebellions.
The first of this was the Whisky Rebllion which started in 1794 over the rasing of the liqour tax to solve the nations debt. The tax called for larger, ussualy eastern disstelleries, to be charged 6 cents while smaller, ussually western disstelleries, to be charced 9. Up and down the western frontier of the United States violent riots rocked the states, no more was this clearer then in western Pennsylvania. Armed bands of settlers harassed and stopped tax collectors from collecting their dues. Seeing an opportunity to show the forces of the federal government Washington called 12,000 militia and along with Hamilton, he marched into western Pennsylvania. “Remember Shays!” became the rallying cry of armed bands throughout the west, while those in Pennsylvania become organized under the leadership of Tompkins. He used the settler’s familiarity of the land to constantly harass the Washington’s, latter Hamilton’s, army while gathering recruits from the other western lands. After months of harassing Federal troops, Tompkins was finally forced to battle out side of Pittsburg. With an undisciplined, yet highly motivated, army Tompkins managed to hold Hamilton for nearly three hours until his lines were flanked and he was overrun. When Hamilton gave his speech before Congress on the campaign he was reported to say “To hold the west we must realize that we cannot win by force of arms and as such we must win by the pen. I do not speak lightly on this matter”. Two months latter the Liquor tax was repealed after little success.
After that Pyrrhic victory the union was rocked with argument over its handling. More western influenced states claimed it was handled sloppily and could’ve been ended before Tompkins army grew from volunteers. Eastern states shot back that the state or at least county governments were helping the rebels and allowed them to escape time and time again without reporting to Washington and Hamilton their movements. This came to head with the “Western Act” stating that all settlers in the vaguely declared “western lands” could be held against their will for a period for two weeks under order of the President. Barely passing through the Congress, Washington signed on to the “Western Act” in 1795. Largely because of this act tensions between the east and west continued for decades to come. Continued strain on the union happened with the ratification of the Jay Treaty, as many thought the United States was not asking for enough with the handing over of the Great Lake region. Tensions only eased when George Washington’s final turn ended and his time in politics ended in 1796. Washington’s final address to the union stressed stability in the union and advised his successors to avoid the deadly alliance system in Europe. John Adams was elected as the second president of the United States in 1797, inheriting a troubled and divided Union.
The years between the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution were terbulent times in which the pressures of establishing control as a united country eventualy led to the mostly unknown yet vastly important rebellion led by Daniel Shays. A highly decorated captian in the revolutionary war he become angry at the increasing debts being placed on small farmers, of which he was one. Finaly a deteriorating economy in early 1786, esspecialy felt in his residence of western Massachusets, led Shays and 800 armed farmers to blockade the Supereme Court from convening. Eventualy a similar sized private milita arrived at the seen. Although it remained peaceful, violence was eventualy sparked when a rumor circulated that the Supereme Court had ruled indictments against farmers. Shays and his farmers began to march on the court house and fighting quickly erupted between the private milita and Shays’s farmers. Over 100 milita and farmers were killed with three times that amount being wounded and although the farmers was the better off they were forced to flee upon news of a second private army approching.
Regrouping Shays gathered nearly 2500 armed farmers who still believed in the rumour that circulated earlier while also being shocked at the violence that erupted earlier. Shays then preceded to lead a attack on the disorganized privated armies that where scattered throughout Massachusets, destroying many before they could join togather. Yet Shays was defeat at Petersham and Manshaven Massachusets to state militia a forced him to surrender what was left of his army. And all though Shays was the only one to be charged for treason deep resentment remained in New England farmers at what they perceved to be an attempt to silince their voice in government. Yet Shays Rebellion (as it is now called) highlighted some, on latter did it happen in the Annapolis Convention.
After President Washingtons was elected as the first precident of the United States his first actions were to stabilise the country after the Shays Rebellion and his second to begin to construct a working government. Washington was extremely succesful with his second action by establishing the Supreme Court in 1789, the Bill of Rights in 1791, and the First Bank of the United States in the same year. He also saw the rise of the slave economy with the advent of the cotton gin in in 1793, while passing the 11th Amendment in 1795, and finally accepting five new states into the Union. Yet with his success at starting and managing a government he was largely a failure when it came to uniting the populouse and, ironicly, the battles fought against the latter rebellions.
The first of this was the Whisky Rebllion which started in 1794 over the rasing of the liqour tax to solve the nations debt. The tax called for larger, ussualy eastern disstelleries, to be charged 6 cents while smaller, ussually western disstelleries, to be charced 9. Up and down the western frontier of the United States violent riots rocked the states, no more was this clearer then in western Pennsylvania. Armed bands of settlers harassed and stopped tax collectors from collecting their dues. Seeing an opportunity to show the forces of the federal government Washington called 12,000 militia and along with Hamilton, he marched into western Pennsylvania. “Remember Shays!” became the rallying cry of armed bands throughout the west, while those in Pennsylvania become organized under the leadership of Tompkins. He used the settler’s familiarity of the land to constantly harass the Washington’s, latter Hamilton’s, army while gathering recruits from the other western lands. After months of harassing Federal troops, Tompkins was finally forced to battle out side of Pittsburg. With an undisciplined, yet highly motivated, army Tompkins managed to hold Hamilton for nearly three hours until his lines were flanked and he was overrun. When Hamilton gave his speech before Congress on the campaign he was reported to say “To hold the west we must realize that we cannot win by force of arms and as such we must win by the pen. I do not speak lightly on this matter”. Two months latter the Liquor tax was repealed after little success.
After that Pyrrhic victory the union was rocked with argument over its handling. More western influenced states claimed it was handled sloppily and could’ve been ended before Tompkins army grew from volunteers. Eastern states shot back that the state or at least county governments were helping the rebels and allowed them to escape time and time again without reporting to Washington and Hamilton their movements. This came to head with the “Western Act” stating that all settlers in the vaguely declared “western lands” could be held against their will for a period for two weeks under order of the President. Barely passing through the Congress, Washington signed on to the “Western Act” in 1795. Largely because of this act tensions between the east and west continued for decades to come. Continued strain on the union happened with the ratification of the Jay Treaty, as many thought the United States was not asking for enough with the handing over of the Great Lake region. Tensions only eased when George Washington’s final turn ended and his time in politics ended in 1796. Washington’s final address to the union stressed stability in the union and advised his successors to avoid the deadly alliance system in Europe. John Adams was elected as the second president of the United States in 1797, inheriting a troubled and divided Union.