Abigail Adams (1744–1818) projected that the Massachusetts revolt of 1786 led by Daniel Shays (ca. 1741–1825) "will prove to be sallutary to the state at large," even though it was driven by "ignorant, wrestless desperates, without conscience or representatives." Many in the United States claimed that a powerful central government was required to deter these territorial uprisings against established rule. In this scene, Shays and Job Shattuck (1736–1819), both Revolutionary Army veterans and leaders of the 1786 rebellion, are featured. Afterward, Madison and Washington consider Confederation.
