>> SHEA'S REBELLION IS A FASCINATING EVENT IN
MASSACHUSETTS HISTORY AND DID A GREAT DEAL TO MAKE US THE NATION
WE ARE TODAY, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD ALL KNOW MORE
ABOUT.
CONNECTING POINT CORRESPONDENT CAROLEE MCGRATH SPOKE WITH
REPRESENTATIVES AT THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE FROM THE
SPRINGFIELD ARMORY.
>> AFTER THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION A NUMBER OF THOSE WHO FOUGHT,
THE VETERANS, AND THOSE WHO LIVED IN THE AREA THAT DID NOT
HAVE A LOT OF MONEY WERE BECOMING TAXED AT SUCH A HIGH
RATE THAT THEY WERE LOSING THEIR FARMS AND LOSING THEIR
LIVELIHOODS, AND THEY WERE BEING TAXED AGAINST IN A
DISCRIMINATORY WAY.
THE PEOPLE WHO HAD FUNDS AND WEALTH WERE NOT.
AND SO THEY FOUGHT LEGALLY THROUGH THE COURTS FOR SEVERAL
YEARS, AND THEY WERE NOT GETTING ANYWHERE WITH THE CHANGING OF
THE STATUS AND THEY WERE VERY DISTRAUGHT.
A LARGE GROUP, I THINK OVER 1,000 MILITIAMEN CAME IN 1787 TO
TRY TO TAKE THE ARMS FROM WHAT WAS THE SPRINGFIELD ARSENAL AT
THE TIME, AND SPRINGFIELD ARMORY BEGAN IN 1794 BUT A SIMILAR
SITE, IF YOU GO TODAY, TO WHERE STICK IS YOU CAN SEE A MONUMENT
AND YOU CAN SEE AN AREA WHERE THIS ALL OCCURRED.
IRONICALLY AFTER THE REBELLION THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WHO WAS
-- WHOSE HANDS WERE TIED AND THEY DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH POWER
TO INTERVENE IN THE STATE'S MATTERS, AND DECIDED THAT WE
WOULD HAVE THE U.S. CONSTITUTION CLEARLY STATE THAT WE WOULD
NEVER ALLOW SOMETHING OF THIS CALIBER TO HAPPEN AGAIN.
IRONICALLY YOU HAVE THE AMERICAN -- THE U.S. CONSTITUTION, WE
THINK OF AS RIGHTS, AND THAT YOU HAVE AND, IN THIS COUNTRY BUT IN
THIS CASE THE U.S. CONSTITUTION IS INSTEAD BANNING CERTAIN KINDS
OF ACTIVITIES OF EXPRESSION IN THIS COUNTRY.
>> AND IT WAS LED BY DANIEL SHAYS, A VETERAN OF THE
REVOLUTIONARY WAR AND FROM BROOKEFIELD OR SETTLED IN THE
BROOKEFIELD AREA AS WELL.
SO I THINK THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THIS AREA WHO GREW UP IN THIS
AREA, I MIGHT BE TALKING ABOUT MYSELF, TAKE FOR GRANTED THE
INCREDIBLE RICH HISTORY THAT WE HAVE, ESPECIALLY THE SPRINGFIELD
ARMORY.
JUST DRIVING RIGHT UP STATE STREET AND YOU KEEP DRIVING AND
DON'T REALIZE WHAT A TREASURE IS THERE.
TELL US A BIT ABOUT THE HISTORY.
>> NOT AT ALL.
SO GEORGE WASHINGTON AUTHORIZED THE SITE IN 1794 MAKING IT THE
FIRST FEDERAL ARMORY IN THE UNITED STATES.
BUT THAT'S PRETTY IMPORTANT SO BEFORE THAT TIME WE WERE
IMPORTING THE FIREARMS BUT AFTER THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR WASHINGTON
THOUGHT THAT'S PROBABLY NOT A GOOD IDEA SO LET'S HAVE OUR OWN
MANUFACTURING HERE SO HE CHOSE OUR SITE AND HARPER'S FERRY WAS
A SISTER SITE OF OURS SO FROM -- SOLDIERS FROM THE WAR OF 1812 TO
VIETNAM CARRIED THE FIREARMS IN BATTLE.
I THINK THAT THAT'S PRETTY IMPRESSIVE.
>> SO SUSAN TELL US THE ROLE THAT THE ARMORY PLAYED DURING
WORLD WAR II.
>> SO EMPLOYMENT SOARED DURING THAT TIME.
WE EMPLOYED JUST UNDER 14,000 PEOPLE IN THE SPRING OF 1943.
>> THAT'S A LOT OF PEOPLE.
>> IT IS.
YES.
ABSOLUTELY.
>> AND THEN 42% OF THOSE WERE WOMEN, WHICH WE WOULD CALL WOWS,
AND THOSE ARE WOMEN ORDINANCE WORKERS.
AND WE MANUFACTURED.
THEY HELPED TO MANUFACTURE ABOUT 3.5 MILLION AND WON GRANTS AND
PRIVATE CONTRACTORS WORKED ON THOSE AS WELL BRINGING THE TOTAL
UP TO 6 MILLION.
>> YOU HAVE OTHER EXCITING EVENTS COMING UP AS WELL.
TELL US.
>> WE DO, VERY EXCITED.
AND THIS PARTICULAR SATURDAY AT 2:00 WE HAVE JOHN CROWELY
RETURNING TO THE AREA.
HE WAS ON YOUR SHOW DECEMBER 7, COMMEMORATING THE BOMBING OF
PEARL HARBOR, 75th YEAR, AND HE'S GOING TO BE COMING TO READ
PASSAGES FROM HIS BOOK CALLED "THE FOUR FREEDOMS" AND HE WILL
ALSO -- HE WAS ALSO THE AUTHOR AND THE WRITER OF A FILM CALLED
"SURPRISE AND REMEMBRANCE."
SO WE'LL START WITH HIM AND HE'S GOING TO BE DOING THE READINGS
AND WE WILL GO RIGHT INTO THE FILM.
WE'LL SHOW IT AT THE SPRINGFIELD ARMORY THERE SATURDAY.
>> OK.
SUES AND THEN JO-ANNE THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING IN AND
TALKING ABOUT THE HISTORY THAT WE HAVE RIGHT HERE IN THIS AREA,
AND ENCOURAGING US TO GO AND CHECK IT OUT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING IN TODAY.
>> YOU ARE WELCOME.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING US.
>> THANK YOU.