Life before the Constitution
BANKER/MERCHANT
Hello, I am a Banker/Merchant here in New York. I think that the "payment in kind" is very stupid and it is very well a cheat out of your money. I am very upset with Daniel Shays and the people that liked him because they stopped something that was going to make me very happy, because that would have made people actually pay what they owe! Though, I do feel good about how I have bought up thousands of dollars of government bonds from people who were given these instead of money when they were soldiers during the Revolution.
LIFE AS A WORKER
Hello, I am just your average shoemaker here in Manchester, New Hampshire. I make my living by making shoes and then selling them. I sadly was not able to pay my debts because my government decided not to print paper money, which I was counting on so I could sell my shoes at a higher price. I received a bond from the government for being a soldier in the war, but they never paid me, so I sold it to a man, in which I earned 10 cents from it. I thought it was best to just get some hard cash then risk losing everything before the government pays me. I feel that it is unfair that all of us poor people pay the taxes that the rich used to get even wealthier.
LIFE AS A FARMER
Hello, I am a farmer with a small amount of land in western Massachusetts. I make my living by growing crops, but I only grow enough to feed my family and only sell a small portion in the town. These days, the only thing I have to worry about is going to jail because I can't make enough money to pay off my debt and pay the high tax rate that my state charges. I think Shay's Rebellion is a great example of how weak our government