Like many New England towns, Amherst had once been part of a larger town. It was originally part of Hadley, Massachusetts, became a district in 1759, and was incorporated as a town in 1786. It was named after Lord Jeffrey Amherst (1717-1797), a British general who had served in the French and Indian War (1754-1763) and was celebrated for his victory over the French at Louisbourg. During the American Revolution (1775-1783) the town divided into Patriot and Tory factions. In 1787 113 townspeople participated in Shays’ Rebellion (1786-1787), joining Daniel Shays (1747-1825) of nearby Pelham in the ultimately unsuccessful attempt to take the arsenal in Springfield. The early 1800s saw the start of industrial growth in Amherst. Grist, saw, and textile mills were developed, powered by the Mill River. Carriage, wagon, and sled-making industries thrived in the 1850s, with production reaching 75,000 per year. Palm leaf hat making, an important source of employment for women, started at about that time and continued until the 1930s. Education also became the town’s business. Amherst Academy opened in the early 1800s and Amherst Female Seminary was built in 1824 (it burned in 1838). Amherst College opened as a divinity school in 1821. With the founding of the University of Massachusetts (1867) and Hampshire College (1970), Amherst became a college town. The town was home to Noah Webster (1758-1843) who was best known for his dictionaries, poet Emily Dickinson (1830-1886), and poet Robert Frost (1874-1963) who taught at Amherst College for over forty years.