American Centuries

Pocumtuck Valley
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American Centuries > Lessons > History Lessons By Teachers > “Town Hall Meeting” on Shays’ Rebellion

“Town Hall Meeting” on Shays’ Rebellion

Details

Author
Nick Sowa
Topic/Subject Area
Media, Periodicals, Communication; Politics, Government, Law, Civics; Civil Rights, Protest, Dissent; Military, Wars, Battles
Historical Era
The New Nation, 1784–1815
Grade Level
High School (9–12)
Creation Date
Last Revision Date
2024

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About This Lesson

Summary and Objective

Students will understand that there were two main viewpoints related to the events of Shays’ Rebellion: those of the Regulators, and those that sided with the government of Massachusetts. Students will analyze primary source documents of the time period and then discuss what they found in order to gain a full understanding of each perspective.

Materials & Resources

Collection Items
Websites

 

 

Teaching Plan

  1. Students will view the pictures of the town hall and tavern signs. Teacher will explain that political matters were often discussed as an open forum in these types of places. Inform students that today, they are having their own “town meeting”.
  2. Divide the class into 2 groups: one group will read pro-government articles, the other will read pro-rebellion articles. Students will be directed to the Shays’ Rebellion section on the American Centuries website if they need further information.
  3. Students will read the articles together in pairs. Students will be reminded that note-taking is required in order to adequately prepare their argument.
  4. After reading the articles, students will get into groups of 3-4 and brainstorm a list of arguments in favor of their assigned position.
  5. After brainstorming, the class will have a debate-style discussion on why their side is right and the other side is wrong.