Episode
196. Shays Rebellion as Honorable Anarchy -- Daniel Bullen
- Podcast
- Everyday Anarchism
- Published
- Jul 22, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 3530
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://www.everydayanarchism.com/
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Summary
Shays' Rebellion was a nonviolent, popular movement designed to stop corrupt Massachusetts elites from lining their pockets at the expense of workers. It worked, and is thus a perfect example of "self-regulation" or, as we might put it, anarchy. Jefferson called it "anarchy" and also "honorable." So what was the result of this honorable anarchy? The US Constitution, which was designed to prevent such anarchic uprisings from ever happening again. Dan Bullen joins me to discuss the rebellion (or regulation), its legacy, and its similarity to Occupy Wall Street. The lesson is: Join or Die. Or, as Dan puts it, "If we don't stand together, they're going to take all we have." You can find Dan's book here: https://honorablerebellion.com/ Here's Jefferson on the anarchy of Shays Rebellion: https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/jefferson/105.html