This list of grievances for which the rebels of Shays’ Rebellion (1786-1787) sought redress is in the form of a poem or song. They include complaints about the legislature being in Boston, Massachusetts, tax amounts, and the general lack of money. The “groat” mentioned in the second stanza is a British coin that was worth 4 pence.
William Butler began publication of the Hampshire Gazette on September 6, 1786, in Northampton, Massachusetts, 18 days after the Shays’ Rebellion Regulators (opposed to the government) 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.
