They revolted when state courts foreclosed on their property or ordered them to serve terms in debtors’ prison or sell themselves into indentured servitude, while at the same time the state government refused to issue paper money for debt relief. Students may agree with Jefferson, who believed that citizens’ ability to freely express their opposition toward their government was crucial to maintaining good government. They might mention that Shays’s Rebellion pushed some political leaders to admit that the Articles of Confederation were not working. The revolt thus paved the way for a Constitutional Convention and a stronger national government. Others may disagree with Jefferson, citing the wastefulness of the destruction and loss of life caused by Shays’ Rebellion. They may think that there were more positive and productive ways Shays could have advanced his cause.
