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"Petition of Robin Hood" article published in the Hampshire Gazette

(c) Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Deerfield MA. All rights reserved.
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Friends of government like the author of this article often used satire to discredit Regulator demands for debtor relief and government reform. Robin Hood stole from the rich and gave to the poor. This "Robin Hood" petitions the government of Massachusetts for financial assistance as his standard of living is not as high as he would like. He also asks that he be pardoned for taking part in anti-government activities and that his property be free from taxes. He also wishes his well to turn to rum, his trees to produce white sugar, his fields to produce the best wheat and beef, his apple trees to produce Madeira wine and his other trees to grow playing cards place of leaves. William Butler began publishing the Hampshire Gazette on September 6, 1786, in Northampton, Massachusetts. Butler's goal was to inform the public about the issues pertaining to the ongoing conflicts in the western part of the state. The contents of the Hampshire Gazette reveal the pro-government bias of its publisher, William Butler.

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