Editing Springfield Armory (section)

== Shays' Rebellion (1787) ==
{{further|Shays' Rebellion}}
[[File:Shays forces flee Continental troops, Springfield.jpg|left|thumb|260px|Shays' rebel forces, attempting to overtake the armory, flee from the state militia as grapeshot is fired from artillery]] 
In 1786 and 1787, [[American Revolutionary War]] veteran [[Daniel Shays]] led an armed, populist uprising that attempted to overthrow the [[Government of Massachusetts]].<ref name="calliope.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.calliope.org/shays/shays2.html|title=Shays' Rebellion|website=www.calliope.org}}</ref> On January 25, 1787, thousands of Shays' Regulators marched on the Springfield Armory, hoping to seize its weaponry and force a change of government.  That day the Springfield Armory was defended by state militia, who fired [[grapeshot]] at the rebels, forcing them to flee. This confrontation proved decisive, as Shays' Rebellion was crushed soon thereafter, and some of its participants tried for treason.<ref name="calliope.org"/>

Shays' Rebellion directly influenced the delegates at the 1787 Constitutional Convention. Washington cited it as his reason for coming out of retirement.<ref name="calliope.org"/> During the debates over the U.S. Constitution, in encouraging a stronger Federal government, [[James Madison]] cautioned the attendees that "the rebellion in Massachusetts is a warning, gentlemen."<ref name="calliope.org"/>
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