Shays' Rebellion was significant because it

A group of protestors, led by Revolutionary War veteran Daniel Shays, began a 6 month rebellion by taking over the Court of Common Pleas in Northampton; the goal was to prevent the trial and imprisonment of debt-ridden citizens. James Bowdoin, the governor of Massachusetts, was clearly in the latter group.

The Shays Rebellion was an armed uprising in Massachusetts, mainly in Springfield and the surrounding area during 1786 and 1787.

Daniel Shays, an american veteran of the United States War of Independence, led four thousand rebels (called shaysites) in a protest against perceived economic and civil injustices.

The events of the rebellion served as a boost for the Philadelphia Convention and the creation of the new government. Additionally, the impact of the Shays Rebellion caused retired General George Washington to return to public life, which led to his two terms as the first president of the United States.

There is still debate among scholars about the influence of Shays Rebellion in the Constitution and its ratification.