Agrarian Problems in the New Republic

Agrarian protest was a well known phenomenon of colonial North America. Yet the continued presence of organized rural protest in the years following the revolutionary war has divided scholars as to its significance. Historians have focused their attention especially on two postrevolutionary movement...

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Main Author: Barbara Karsky
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Association Française d'Etudes Américaines 2006-03-01
Series:Transatlantica
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/transatlantica/504
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author Barbara Karsky
author_facet Barbara Karsky
author_sort Barbara Karsky
collection DOAJ
description Agrarian protest was a well known phenomenon of colonial North America. Yet the continued presence of organized rural protest in the years following the revolutionary war has divided scholars as to its significance. Historians have focused their attention especially on two postrevolutionary movements, the Shays and the Whiskey Rebellions. In attempting to interpret these movements beyond their immediate agrarian grievances in a larger political framework of nation‑making, the works of David Szatmary and Thomas Slaughter, published in the 1980s, earned an important place in the scholarship of rural protest. How have studies of the Shays and the Whiskey rebellions evolved since then ? While historians have differed on the causes and the composition of agrarian protest, most tend to relegate these movements to a backcountry or frontier context, hence diminishing the political significance of the small farmer in the new nation. Still a divisive issue among historians of the Shays and the Whiskey rebellions is the extent of farmers’ involvement in the market. These movements need to be analyzed in a broader, more dynamic economic and social framework in order to reach a better understanding of their contribution to the development of democracy in the early republic.
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spelling doaj-art-ae7b99e9d7364521a8770db80509f5702025-01-30T10:45:45ZengAssociation Française d'Etudes AméricainesTransatlantica1765-27662006-03-01110.4000/transatlantica.504Agrarian Problems in the New RepublicBarbara KarskyAgrarian protest was a well known phenomenon of colonial North America. Yet the continued presence of organized rural protest in the years following the revolutionary war has divided scholars as to its significance. Historians have focused their attention especially on two postrevolutionary movements, the Shays and the Whiskey Rebellions. In attempting to interpret these movements beyond their immediate agrarian grievances in a larger political framework of nation‑making, the works of David Szatmary and Thomas Slaughter, published in the 1980s, earned an important place in the scholarship of rural protest. How have studies of the Shays and the Whiskey rebellions evolved since then ? While historians have differed on the causes and the composition of agrarian protest, most tend to relegate these movements to a backcountry or frontier context, hence diminishing the political significance of the small farmer in the new nation. Still a divisive issue among historians of the Shays and the Whiskey rebellions is the extent of farmers’ involvement in the market. These movements need to be analyzed in a broader, more dynamic economic and social framework in order to reach a better understanding of their contribution to the development of democracy in the early republic.https://journals.openedition.org/transatlantica/504Early Republicagrarian protestShays' RebellionWhiskey RebellionFrontierbackcountry
spellingShingle Barbara Karsky
Agrarian Problems in the New Republic
Transatlantica
Early Republic
agrarian protest
Shays' Rebellion
Whiskey Rebellion
Frontier
backcountry
title Agrarian Problems in the New Republic
title_full Agrarian Problems in the New Republic
title_fullStr Agrarian Problems in the New Republic
title_full_unstemmed Agrarian Problems in the New Republic
title_short Agrarian Problems in the New Republic
title_sort agrarian problems in the new republic
topic Early Republic
agrarian protest
Shays' Rebellion
Whiskey Rebellion
Frontier
backcountry
url https://journals.openedition.org/transatlantica/504
work_keys_str_mv AT barbarakarsky agrarianproblemsinthenewrepublic