What event led to the Constitutional Convention of 1787?

The event that culminated in the Constitutional Convention of 1787 was indeed Shay's Rebellion. This uprising, which took place in 1786-1787, was primarily driven by economic distress among farmers in Massachusetts who were facing high taxes and aggressive debt collection practices. It highlighted the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation, particularly the inability of the federal government to maintain order and address economic challenges.

Shay's Rebellion drew attention to the limitations of the existing government structure, demonstrating that the Articles provided insufficient support for maintaining stability and protecting property rights. The rebellion alarmed many leaders and prompted calls for a stronger federal government, ultimately leading to the gathering of delegates in Philadelphia to revise the Articles of Confederation, which instead resulted in the creation of the U.S. Constitution.

While other events, such as the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution, were significant in American history, they occurred earlier and did not directly trigger the urgency for the Constitutional Convention as did Shay's Rebellion. The drafting of the Articles of Confederation was also an important milestone, but it was the evident failure of that framework, highlighted by the rebellion, that directly prompted the convention.