Origins & Early Life

Daniel Ogden Shays (August 1747 – September 29, 1825) was an American soldier, revolutionary and farmer famous for allegedly leading Shays' Rebellion, a populist uprising against controversial debt collection and tax policies that took place in Massachusetts between 1786 and 1787. The actual role played by Shays in the rebellion is disputed by scholars. Daniel Ogden Shays was born in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, sometime between April and August 1747 to Irish immigrants Patrick Shays and Margaret Dempsey. Daniel was the second of seven siblings; his siblings were Margaret, James, Roger, Phebe, Mary, and Polly.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

He spent his early years as a landless farm laborer. In 1772, he married Abigail Gilbert, and they settled in Shutesbury, Massachusetts, where he owned a sixty-eight acre farm and they had six children. Shays joined the militia immediately prior to the American Revolution and attained the rank of sergeant in the regiment commanded by Benjamin Ruggles Woodbridge. The Battles of Lexington and Concord took place on April 19, 1775, and the next day Shays's unit was mobilized and marched to Boston. His company took part in the Boston campaign...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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