This article published in the Hampshire Gazette was written by Pelham, Massachusetts, resident Daniel Gray. He was one of Daniel Shays’ Regulators during Shays’ Rebellion (August 1786-February 1787), when poor farmers rose up in arms against the state government for its institution of taxes they could not afford to pay. In the article Gray listed the grievances causing the rebellion. They included the method of debt collection, suspension of Habeas Corpus (which required someone arrested to be brought before a judge to determine whether there was a viable reason to detain them), and unlimited power of justices of the peace and sheriffs. 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.
Gray, Daniel. “An address to the People of Several Towns.” Hampshire Gazette, December 27, 1786. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/l07-038/. Accessed on October 16, 2024.
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