Many Americans attempted to return to their old lives after the Revolutionary War. It was easy for some, but difficult, even impossible, for others. Many farmers found it difficult to return to their post-revolutionary ways and hardships, and this proved a real challenge. Suffering from high debt, farmers in central and western Massachusetts attempted to start over and rebuild their lives. The government, on the other hand, did nothing to help Americans who were trying to get their lives back after the brutality of war. The farmers were imprisoned by the police because they had not repaid their debts. All these problems caused a small rebellion that turned into one of the largest armed rebellions after the Revolutionary War. The rebellion's leader, Daniel Shays, later called his band of angry farmers "Shays' Rebellion." Shays' Rebellion was a poorly planned and unnecessary revolt that harmed the cause it was intended to help. Shays' Rebellion came from a small group of Massachusetts farmers fighting against high taxes. These farmers organized their resistance in a manner similar to the American War of Independence. They called special meetings of the people to protest the conditions. They even agreed on coordinated protests involving themselves and others. The rebels closed the courts by force in the fall of 1786 and freed other imprisoned farmers who sympathized with the rebel cause. Later, small revolts grew into full-blown revolts once the rebels came under the leadership of Daniel Shays. Shays was a general in the Continental Army who fought against the British during the American Revolutionary War; this is why the rebels had tactics similar to those used against the British. Middle of paper, the rebels had some sympathizers. People like academics and former members of the Continental Army supported or even joined the rebels themselves. The result of the rebels' actions really showed people who was in charge. James Bowdoin, then governor of Massachusetts, opposed Daniel Shays and his rebels. He received military force from the United States government to put down the rebellion. He eliminated most of the rebels while the rest scattered. Although they were defeated, some rebels started a few minor revolts which were quickly suppressed by local police or the army. Daniel Shays fled the scene and was later arrested by the military. The government granted him a five-year pension. He served his pension in the Continental Army without pay. He then left the army and became a heavy drinker. Daniel Shays dies at age 78 in New York.