January 25, 1787: Daniel Shays finds taxation with representation isn't so hot, either. Shays was a captain during the American Revolutionary war, fighting for freedom from overseas rule and its crushing taxation. Shays was an officer of distinction. He worked his way up through the ranks and was awarded a sword for valor bestowed upon him by the great Lafayette. After the war, he returned to his western Massachusetts farm.
Shays was not finished fighting for his country. He led an armed resistance of about 4,000 men. The men came from all economic classes. Their goal was to decrease the taxes levied to pay off the war debt. The crushing debt caused by the regressive tax during a depressive economic time was causing families to lose their farms and many men ended up in debtor's prison. On this day, an arsenal was attacked.
Shays's Rebellion is often misunderstood and new information is causing historians to rethink the Rebellion that raged for two years. It was seen until recently as only poor men wishing to avoid debtor's prison. In fact, the discontent spread further and involved men of all economic means. George Washington himself wrote letters to Shays and other influential participants. Some of the Founding Fathers saw some merit in the Rebellion. Thomas Jefferson wrote in support of it.
Over the months of confrontation, a new concept was brought forth for the infant nation. A stronger central government was needed. The Articles of Confederation, written ten years earlier, were seen as too weak. In the light of the Rebellion, a new, stronger, more centralized government was seen as the answer to the young nation's problems – a new path for the Founders to follow. At the Constitutional Convention of 1787, all this was taken under consideration as the United States Constitution was written.
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"Democracy [is] when the indigent, and not the men of property, are the rulers." - Aristotle
"...nothing in this world is certain but death and taxes." - Benjamin Franklin
"The marvel of all history is the patience with which men and women submit to burdens unnecessarily laid upon them by their governments." - William H. Borah
"The art of taxation consists in so plucking the goose to obtain the largest amount of feathers with the least possible amount of hissing." - Jean-Baptiste Colbert
Comments
The more I learn about the early history of this country, the more I see how chaotic it was. It's been, unfortunately, so cleaned up for history textbooks there's no amazement possible in the founding and success of the USA. And that's unfortunate. It was, and is, an amazing accomplishment.
Isn't it wonderful to read that "new" information is still being unearthed after all these years?
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