Talk:Shaysites
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The Riot Act was a British document; the corresponding U.S. act was the Militia Act, which wasn't made until 1792. - Keith D. Tyler ΒΆ 23:38, 9 January 2006 (UTC)
Marion Starkey in her "A Little Rebellion" (Alfred A Knopf, 1955) reports that the Riot Act in this case was legislation adopted by the Massachusetts General Court (legislature) on October 28, 1786. Drafted by Sam Adams,along with a suspension of habeas courpus law that was adopted two weeks later, the Riot Act, according to Starkey, gave the Governor powers to call out the militia and send it whereever its services were required - to allow the Courts of Common Pleas to remain open in the face of crowds of citizens blocking judges from the courts. This was needed because local militias, especially in the most dissident counties, could not be counted on to preserve order.
