Hoping to realize the economic prosperity they believed would be part of victory after the American Revolutionary War, many ordinary Americans invested in real estate for themselves and their offspring. Defaults on these sorts of parcels were common during the post-war recession, particularly in Massachusetts, due to extremely heavy taxes. When real estate taxes on a piece of land were not paid, the town was allowed to advertise for potential buyers. Anyone who paid the taxes and accrued interest could assume ownership of the land. When Conway officials advertised unpaid real estate taxes in 1787, they only advertised the land of people who did not live in town. It is likely that many homeowners were in the position of having unpaid taxes as well. Hard currency (coinage) was extremely difficult to get, but unlike other states, Massachusetts insisted that this be the method of payment.
Hamilton, Robert. “Notice of non-payment of taxes from Conway article published in the Hampshire Gazette.” Hampshire Gazette, August 15, 1787. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/l04-103/. Accessed on October 16, 2024.
Please note: Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.