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Daniel Shays was born in Hopkinton, Massachusetts in 1747. He was the son of two Irish immigrants, Patrick Shays and Margaret Dempsey.
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In 1772, Daniel Shays married Abigail Gilbert.
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In 1775, Daniel Shays joined the colonial militia, fighting in the Battles of Lexington and Concord. He also fought in the Battles of Bunker Hill and Fort Ticonderoga.
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Daniel Shays resigned from the colonial militia wounded and returned to his wife and home in Pelham, Massachusetts in 1780.
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In 1780, General Lafayette gave Shays an ornamental sword. Shays sold the sword in an attempt to pay his debts.
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In 1784, Shays was summoned to court for unpaid debts. The war had devalued currency substantially and he was unable to pay the debt, particularly since he had left the military without pay.
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Local and state governments and courts began to seize land from farmers for payment of debts, both court-ordered and tax debts.
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In December 1786, Shays raised an army of farmers and other lower-status individuals to object to the seizure of land.
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Shays' rebel army attacked a government arsenal in January 1787. They were defeated in minutes.
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Throughout 1787, Shays' army continued to attack merchants and government facilities. They were defeated by the state militia, at the orders of the governor.
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Shays and other leaders of the rebellion fled to Rhode Island, and later to Vermont, to avoid prosecution for their role in the Rebellion.
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Shays' Rebellion was a deciding factor in the convocation of the Constitutional Convention to replace the Articles of Confederation.
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Daniel Shays died on September 29, 1825. He was 78 years old.
