The American Revolution was rooted in the ideology of republicanism. Patriots advocated for the importance of self-governance and a limited government in order to
protect liberty from tyranny. Many of those involved in Shay's rebellion argued they were fighting to protect liberty and the "spirit of the revolution against the
tyranny of the political elite. Fear that a strong central government led to tyranny is one reason anti-federalists opposed the ratification of the Constitution.
It is based on historical events in the 1780s that led to the drafting of the new Constitution that some historians conclude the Constitutional Convention was a
"counter-revolution." Do you agree? Was the new Constitution a setback for liberty and in opposition to the "spirit of the American Revolution"? Or, was the
Constitution necessary to protect liberty and ensure the nation's republican experiment would survive?