Heartland Politics with Robin Johnson

Daniel Shays's Rebellion: An American Story Both Sides of our Current Political Divide Can Appreciate

By Robin Johnson

Published April 10, 2026 at 11:00 PM CDT

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Daniel Bullen discusses his book, Daniel Shays's Honorable Rebellion: An American Story. He talks about how this 'rebellion' was misrepresented, the economic conditions that led to the protests by small farmers in western Massachusetts, profiles of Daniel Shays and his fellow protesters, the roles of Founders George Washington and Alexander Hamilton, the similarities and differences with the Whiskey Rebellion, and why this story is important for today.

Heartland Politics with Robin Johnson

Robin Johnson

Robin A. Johnson is a governmental relations, public policy and political consultant. He is an expert on government reform issues and has consulted with numerous local governments on consolidation/merger, public-private partnerships and full-cost accounting of public services. Robin has also helped candidates win elections for the U.S. Senate, U.S. Congress, state legislature, judiciary and local government. Robin served as a consultant to the Office of Statewide Performance Review in the Illinois Governor’s Office and is former director of the Illinois Center for Competitive Government, a partnership between the Illinois Comptroller’s Office and the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs at Western Illinois University. Prior to that, he was Director of the Local Government Affairs Division of the Illinois Comptroller’s Office. Robin served on the Board of Directors of the National Council for Public-Private Partnerships (NCPPP) in 1999-2000.

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