Daniel Shays
| Daniel Shays | |
|---|---|
.jpg)
From 1878's "Our First Century" by Richard Miller Devens.
|
|
| Born | c.1747 Hopkinton, Massachusetts |
| Died | September 29, 1825 Sparta, New York, U.S. |
| Resting place | Union Cemetery, Scottsburg, New York |
| Occupation | farmer, military officer |
| Known for |
Revolutionary War Captain Shays' Rebellion |
| Spouse(s) | Abigail Gilbert |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America
|
| Service/branch |
 Massachusetts militia Continental Army
|
| Years of service | 1775-1780 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit |
5th Massachusetts Regiment
|
| Battles/wars | Shays' Rebellion |
| Signature | |
 |
|
Daniel Shays (c. 1747 – September 29, 1825) was an American soldier, revolutionary, and farmer famous for being one of the leaders of Shays' Rebellion, a populist uprising against controversial debt collection and tax policies in Massachusetts in 1786 and 1787.
Daniel Shays was born in 1747 in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, the son of two Irish immigrants, Patrick and Margaret (Dempsey) Shays. Daniel was the second of six siblings: Margaret, James, Roger, Phebe and Mary Polly. He spent his early years as a landless farm laborer. In 1772, he married Abigail Gilbert, with whom he settled in Brookfield, Massachusetts. Daniel and Abigail (Gilbert) Shays had 6 children: Daniel born 31 Jan 1773 in Shutesbury, MA and possibly Lucy, Hannah, Susan, Gilbert and Polly.
Shays joined the local militia during the American Revolution. He rose to the rank of captain in the 5th Massachusetts Regiment of the Continental Army by 1777. He was involved in the Boston campaign, and fought at the Battle of Bunker Hill. He also fought in the Battle of Lexington and the Battle of Saratoga. He was wounded during the war and resigned from the military, unpaid, in 1780. Upon returning home, he discovered he was summoned to court for unpaid debts, which he still could not pay because he was not paid for military service.
In 1780, Shays was presented with an ornamental sword by General Lafayette, in honor of his military service. Shays later sold the sword for a few dollars to pay off his debts—an act which was frowned upon by his peers.
After returning from the war, Daniel Shays was alarmed to discover that many of his fellow veterans and farmers were in the same financial situation as he. Commoners' meetings revealed that veterans were treated unfairly upon release, and businessmen were trying to squeeze money out of smallholders in order to pay their own debts to European war investors. Many Massachusetts rural communities first tried to petition the legislature in Boston, but the legislature was dominated by eastern merchant interests and did not respond substantively to those petitions. The petitions and proposals often included a request to issue paper currency. Such inflationary issues would depreciate the currency, making it possible to meet obligations made at high values with lower-valued paper. The merchants, among them James Bowdoin, were opposed, because they were generally lenders who stood to lose by such proposals. As a result, these proposals were repeatedly rejected. Governor John Hancock, accused by some of anticipating trouble, abruptly resigned in early 1785. When Bowdoin (a loser to Hancock in earlier elections) was elected governor that year, matters became more severe. Bowdoin stepped up civil actions to collect back taxes, and the legislature exacerbated the situation by levying an additional property tax to raise funds for the state's portion of foreign debt payments. Even comparatively conservative commentators like John Adams observed that these levies were "heavier than the People could bear."
...
Wikipedia