Constitution Day: Remembering Luke Day in Shays' Rebellion

"Historical Collections, being a General Collection of Interesting Facts, Traditions, Biographical Sketches, Anecdotes &c.",

Summary and Objective

Students will understand that Shays’ Rebellion became a significant influence on the development of the United States Constitution. Students will be introduced to Captain Luke Day, a leader in Shays' Rebellion, who was from West Springfield, MA. The word insurgents is frequently used to describe the men, called Regulators, involved in Shays’ Rebellion. Students will examine the meaning of this word, and discuss whether they feel the Regulators were working for the good of our country. During language arts, and in writing workshop, students will create two poems; one about Luke Day, and a second poem about one other important citizen involved in, or affected by Shays’ Rebellion (this information can be found under “people” on the website http://www.shaysrebellion.stcc.edu/Shays'Rebellion and the Making of a Nation: From Revolution to Constitution).

Teaching Plan

Step 1. On September 12th (Constitution Day), discuss the United States Constitution, and show students a copy of the document. Discuss the document in appropriate, child-friendly language. After displaying the United States Constitution, ask students to orally infer why people felt such a document was necessary for our growing country. List the amendments, and ask students to ponder how the amendments to the Constitution helped to make our Constitution more equitable for all people. Chart student responses after each discussion. Finally, ask children to pair-share. Each group will pick the most important reason why they think the Constitution and the amendments was necessary for our country.

Step 2. The class will discuss what Shays' Rebellion was all about, carefully linking this discussion back to the Constitution. Use "Historical Collections, being a General Collection of Interesting Facts, Traditions, Biographical Sketches, Anecdotes" and read page 297 with the children. Students could hold a discussion, with suggested guided questions from the teacher, about the link between the rebellion and the Constitution. Pertinent questions could include asking what Shays and his followers were fighting for. By using the Shays' Rebellion website, which is a link to the American Centuries site, students can discover "A Bloody Encounter" under Scenes, and under Maps, they can look at "The Action at the Arsenal" as well as the "Events of Shays' Rebellion. Next, display a photograph of Luke Day by referencing the Online Collection, and selecting Artifacts From the Shays' Rebellion Website. Select People, and Luke Day will be the seventh person on the list. Ask children if they have ever heard the surname "Day" mentioned. Elaborate about the Day family by briefly discussing The Josiah Day House, which is one of the oldest known surviving brick salt-box style houses in our country. Show the photograph of Luke Day’s headquarters from the “Springfield Republican” and talk about its location in Massachusetts (an additional large, color photograph can be found on the website Historic Buildings of Massachusetts at http://mass.historicbuildingsct.com/?tag=saltbox). If your students are interested in viewing Luke Day's gravestone, purchase the book Agawam Massachusetts-Stories carved in Stone by Rusty Clark. A photograph of the gravestone in Paucatuck Cemetery, and information about Luke Day is on page 142.

Step 3. Direct the students' attention to Luke Day. Use the website; http://www.shaysrebellion.stcc.edu/ (Shays' Rebellion and the Making of a Nation: From Revolution to Constitution). On the Shays site under People, choose Luke Day. Ask children think about what role Luke Day played in the rebellion, what motivated him, and how that could be linked to the Constitution. Click on the icon “maps” and locate the map entitled "The Events of Shays' Rebellion: An Animated Sequence." This map will show students the actual paths/roads the men traveled. Next, click on “The Map of the Springfield Arsenal, 1801” and “The Action at the Arsenal.” Read the information that accompanies the maps. On the website for the Springfield Armory at http://www.nps.gov/spar/historyculture/shays-rebellion.htm read aloud, and paraphrase the quotes and pertinent information.

Step 4. In the Shays' Rebellion site, click on "Artifacts and Documents" and then go to the category “In the Public Eye" to locate four documents. Each document presents a particular point of view, either positive or negative, regarding the rebellion. The first document is “Luke Day’s Demands to William Shepard” printed in the Hampshire Gazette on February 25, 1787. The second document is “Daniel Shays to the Selectmen of South Hadley to Stand Ready” written on November 15, 1786. The third document is “Extract of a Letter Urging Stern Measures Against Rebels” written on February 14, 1787. Use the back button to locate the fourth document, which is under the category “Dear Friend – Diaries and Correspondence” and is entitled “George Washington to Benj. Lincoln Regarding “these commotions” written on November 11, 1786. Read and discuss each of these documents, and look up the meaning of the word insurgents. Ask students to decide whether they feel the Regulators (the men involved in Shays’ Rebellion) were working for the good of our country. Ask students if they felt the men deserved to be called insurgents. Why, or why not?

Step 5. Using the website; http://www.shaysrebellion.stcc.edu/ (Shays' Rebellion and the Making of a Nation: From Revolution to Constitution) locate the primary source entitled “A Crostick” in the category “In the Public Eye: Books, Newspapers and Periodicals.” This is a poem printed in the Hampshire Gazette on June 6, 1787. Read the poem with the class, noting that the word written vertically is insurgents. Using the website; http://www.shadowpoetry.com, locate the tab called “Resources” and use the drop down feature to select “types of poetry.” Show students more examples of “Acrostic” poetry.

Step 6. Students will create their own “Acrostic” poem using Luke Day for the vertical words. Each student will be expected to call upon information learned in this lesson to create an original poem with accurate facts.

Step 7. Students will share their “Acrostic” poems about Luke Day with classmates. Students should freely offer comments, and constructive criticism about historical accuracy based on information they have learned. It is highly recommended that students illustrate their poems, either in class, or for homework.

Step 8. Click on People on the Shays' Rebellion site. Students will read about the people who lived during and after Shays’ Rebellion occurred. Lastly, students will choose a second person in the “people” category to write a historically accurate “Acrostic” poem about. This poem will be shared with the class in the same manner as the first poem. The poetry can be displayed for further reading, or in a school hallway for other children to view.