Following the American Revolution, a severe recession combined with a newly introduced real estate tax, and a shortage of money, devastated many Massachusetts farmers. One, Daniel Shays, organized a revolt against the state government in what is known as “Shays’ Rebellion” (August 1786-July 1797). On April 22, 1787, the Supreme Judicial Court met in Northampton, Massachusetts, and convicted Henry McCullock, Jason Parmenter, Daniel Luddington, Alpheus Colton, James White, and John Wheeler of high treason. They were sentenced to death, which would have been carried out by hanging. These men had participated as leading Regulators (against the government) in the rebellion. Other Regulators were sentenced to imprisonment, standing in the pillory and being whipped, or sitting on the gallows for one hour with a rope around their necks. They also had to pay fines and put up a bond of 100 to 300 pounds to insure that they would keep the peace and be on good behavior for five years. Both the fines and bonds were large sums at a time when money was scarce.
William Butler began publication of the Hampshire Gazette on September 6, 1786, in Northampton, Massachusetts, 18 days after the Regulators prevented the Court of Common Pleas from convening there. The newspaper often urged support of the government and was generally against the activities of the Regulators. The paper came out on Wednesdays and consisted primarily of articles reprinted from other newspapers.
