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Shays' Rebellion, an armed uprising in Springfield and Worcester, Massachusetts, by citizens in opposition to the govern

Shays' Rebellion, an armed uprising in Springfield and Worcester, Massachusetts, by citizens in opposition to the government's increased efforts to collect taxes on both individuals and their businesses

Massachusetts ( MASS-ə-CHOO-sits, -⁠zits; Massachusett: Muhsachuweesut [məhswatʃəwiːsət]), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode Island to its south, New Hampshire and Vermont to its north, and New York to its west. Massachusetts is the seventh-smallest state by land area. With an estimated population of over 7.1 million, it is the most populous state in New England, the 16th-most-populous in the United States, and the third-most densely populated U.S. state after New Jersey and Rhode Island.

Massachusetts was a site of early English colonization. The Plymouth Colony was founded in 1620 by the Pilgrims of Mayflower.

Historical Significance

Massachusetts ( MASS-ə-CHOO-sits, -⁠zits; Massachusett: Muhsachuweesut [məhswatʃəwiːsət]), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States.

Events Before

  1. John Walter publishes the first issue of his newspaper "The Daily Universal Register," which is renamed "The Times" of L

    John Walter publishes the first issue of his newspaper "The Daily Universal Register," which is renamed "The Times" of London in 1788

  2. The parents of the poet Lord Byron marry - Captain John Byron and his second wife Catherine Gordon, heiress of the Gight

    The parents of the poet Lord Byron marry - Captain John Byron and his second wife Catherine Gordon, heiress of the Gight estate in Scotland

  3. Benjamin Franklin announces his invention of bifocals

    Benjamin Franklin announces his invention of bifocals

  4. Geologist James Hutton publicly reads an abstract of his theory of uniformitarianism for the first time at a meeting of

    Geologist James Hutton publicly reads an abstract of his theory of uniformitarianism for the first time at a meeting of the Royal Society of Edinburgh

  5. US Congress unanimously resolves to name the US currency the "dollar" and adopts decimal coinage

    US Congress unanimously resolves to name the US currency the "dollar" and adopts decimal coinage

Events After

  1. Naval officer Horatio Nelson (28) weds Frances Nisbet at Montpelier Estate on the island of Nevis

    Naval officer Horatio Nelson (28) weds Frances Nisbet at Montpelier Estate on the island of Nevis

  2. The First Fleet, headed by Arthur Phillip, sets sail with 11 ships of convicts for Botany Bay, Australia [1]

    The First Fleet is the name given to the group of eleven ships carrying convicts, the first to do so, that left England in May 1787 and arrived in Australia in January 1788.

  3. Delegates gather in Philadelphia to draw up the Constitution of the United States

    The United States Constitution has served as the supreme law of the United States since taking effect in 1789.

  4. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart completes his chamber piece "Eine kleine Nachtmusik" (A Little Serenade)

    Eine kleine Nachtmusik (Serenade No. 13 for strings in G major), K. 525, is a 1787 composition for a chamber ensemble by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791).

  5. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart completes his violin and piano sonata in A, K526

    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart completes his violin and piano sonata in A, K526

More from the 1780s

John Walter publishes the first issue of his newspaper "The Daily Universal Register," which is renamed "The Times" of L

John Walter publishes the first issue of his newspaper "The Daily Universal Register," which is renamed "The Times" of London in 1788

Emperor Joseph II's order for the Jews of Galicia, Austria, to adopt family names comes into effect

Emperor Joseph II's order for the Jews of Galicia, Austria, to adopt family names comes into effect

Future US Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Marshall (27) weds Mary Willis Ambler (16) at his cousin's home in Han

Future US Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Marshall (27) weds Mary Willis Ambler (16) at his cousin's home in Hanover County, Virginia, until her death in 1831

British naval expedition led by Benedict Arnold burns Richmond, Virginia

The military career of Benedict Arnold in 1781 consisted of service in the British Army.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on August 29, 1786?
Massachusetts ( MASS-ə-CHOO-sits, -⁠zits; Massachusett: Muhsachuweesut [məhswatʃəwiːsət]), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode Island to its south, New Hampshire and Vermont to its north, and New York to its west. Massachusetts is the seventh-smallest state by land area.
Why is Shays' Rebellion, an armed uprising in Springfield and Worcester, Massachuset... significant?
Massachusetts ( MASS-ə-CHOO-sits, -⁠zits; Massachusett: Muhsachuweesut [məhswatʃəwiːsət]), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States.

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August 29 in HistoryYear 1786