Shays' Rebellion was an armed uprising in Western Massachusetts that lasted from 1786 to 1787. Many of the rebels, known as Regulators, were small farmers angered by high debt and tax burdens. The rebellion started on August 29, 1786.

The crisis leading to the rebellion was precipitated by credit problems incurred after the American Revolutionary War, when many of the trade benefits of British colonialism vanished and British companies began to demand payment of debts. This debt ultimately trickled down to consumers, in large part small farmers. In addition, the tax system at the time was highly regressive. As a result, many small farmers were forced to sell their land to meet their debts, often less than 1/3 real price.

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The farmers also demanded that debtor courts, which enforced many of the credit schemes at the time, be staffed by elected rather than appointed officials. These efforts were resisted and stymied by wealthy and influential parties, led by men like James Bowdoin who had strong control of the government because of the property eligibility requirements for office at the time. When Bowdoin was elected governor, many of the people in Western Massachusetts became restless.

Calling themselves Regulators, men from all over the western and central parts of the state began to agitate for change. Initial disturbances were mostly peaceful and centered primarily on freeing incarcerated farmers from debtor's prisons.