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12. Shays’ Rebellion encouraged national leaders to
A. repeal the Stamp Act.
B. change the Declaration of Independence.
C. seek alternatives to the Articles of Confederation.
D. repeal the Bill of Rights.
Answer
C. seek alternatives to the Articles of Confederation.
Shays’ Rebellion encouraged national leaders to seek alternatives to the Articles of Confederation. George Washington, for example, advocated for a stronger national government. Alexander Hamilton also favored a more centralized government. The two men’s views helped shape the Constitution, which was ratified in 1788.
The Constitution created a federal system of government with three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. The legislature makes laws, the executive branch enforces them, and the judiciary interprets them. The Constitution also gives the federal government certain powers, such as the power to tax and regulate interstate commerce.
The framers of the Constitution believed that this system would strike a balance between state and federal authority and prevent tyranny by giving each branch checks and balances on the others. In practice, however, it has not always worked out that way.
After the Shays’ Rebellion revealed the government’s fragility under the Articles of Confederation, many—including George Washington—began to call for strengthening the federal government in order to quell future disturbances.
