Reports on the story of Daniel Shays' sale of a sword given to him by General Lafayette. The story was used by Shays' contemporaries as a means of attacking the rebellion. Notes that while Shay died a poor and homeless man, we remember and honor him for devotion to principle and the responsibility he showed toward his neighbors. (JDH)

Recounts the political, economic, social, and governmental situations surrounding Shays' Rebellion, the 1786 farmer's uprising in Massachusetts which, among other things, demonstrated the need for a stronger federal government. Concludes with contemporary analogies and the statement that, in a free society, the conflict between the legitimate…

Reports on the work of Amherst College historian Robert A. Gross, a leading expert on the topic of Shays' Rebellion. Includes a collection of insights Dr. Gross has developed concerning the rebellion's meaning and its impact on the United States Constitution. (JDH)

This theme issue on the freedom of assembly includes three sections: (1) "World History: Wat Tyler's Rebellion," a glimpse into the English past that provides a valuable perspective for understanding the turbulent origins of the right of U.S. citizens to assemble; (2) "U.S. History: William Lloyd Garrison and the Boston Mob,"…