Articles of Confederation and Shays Rebellion Guiding

Questions:
Textbook Passage
1. What happened in Shays Rebellion?
Shay Rebellion was a many number of protests in 1786,
led by American farmers who were protesting against
state and local enforcement of tax collections and debt.

2. How is it connected to the Articles of Confederation?

They couldnt find a source for money, so they had to
start taxing for their debt.

3. According to the textbook, how did Americans respond?

Many people, like merchants, artisans, and creditors,
started arguing for a stronger central government.

Thomas Jeffersons Letter

Sourcing
4. Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence.
Do you think he wanted to see America form a strong
central government? Why or why not?
He would not want a strong centralized government
because it would go against everything he believed in.

Contextualization
5. What are the pros and cons of a strong central
government?
Pro, Everything Is stabilized and it flows easily with a
central government and a con, would be that there
isnt much freedom if only a group of people are
making the rules.

6. According to Jefferson, have the colonies been

peaceful or chaotic? Support your answer with
evidence from the document.
Jefferson thought that the colonies have been very quiet
and nice. Jefferson asked where such anarchy lived

7. Jefferson thinks the people at the Constitutional

Convention are overreacting to Shays Rebellion. What
does he worry they might do as they write the new
Constitution? (Note: this answer is not in the document;
you need to think.)
Jefferson feared that they will make more centralized
constitution.

Close Reading
8. Why would the idea of poor farmers rebelling be scary
to many of the people at the Constitutional
Convention?
The people saw this as signs that the republic was at
risk.

9. What does Jefferson mean when he says, The tree of

liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the
blood of patriots and tyrants?
Jefferson mentioned this because if this system stays
with the government, they will manipulate the colony
and try to be over controlling to the government

Corroboration
10.
How does this document challenge or expand the
information you read in the textbook?
This document gives me a larger detail about events that

happen in history