In these coronavirus times, perhaps we can take comfort in knowing that the people of Berkshire County have lived through other tumultuous times, and survived and prospered.
John 'Sean' Condon will explore how Shays' Rebellion influenced the division of power between state and federal governments set out by the U.S. Constitution and how it shaped the form of public protests today.
In August 1786, Daniel Shays, a Massachusetts farmer, ceased the search for “representatives who can find means to redress the grievances of the people” and took up arms.
Arbor Day in Sheffield, Massachusetts, was celebrated by planting trees around the Shays Rebellion Monument (newly restored) commemorating protests in 1787 by former Revolutionary War soldiers against a dysfunctional financial system.
“We’re interested in supporting the local economy because it supports us so much. So we accept BerkShares, giving people an opportunity to keep their money local, and then that incentivizes us to find local purveyors so that we can keep the circulation going.”
-- Casey Rothstein Fitzpatrick, managing partner of the Stagecoach Tavern at Race Brook Lodge
