How did the state of Rhode Island protect farmers from the effects of the Requisition of 1785?

The state of Rhode Island, in response to the national government's Requisition of 1785, attempted to protect its farmers by not fully complying with the financial demand. The Requisition of 1785 was a request by the Congress of the Confederation for the states to contribute money to the national treasury based on the value of their land. The aim was to help pay off the national debt accumulated during the American Revolutionary War.

Many states, including Rhode Island, were not keen on burdening their inhabitants with additional taxes to meet the requisition. Farmers, who were often cash-poor but land-rich, would have struggled to pay taxes based on land value as they might not have the liquid assets necessary to meet such obligations.

Rhode Island, along with other states, resisted the requisition in several ways. Some of these protective measures may have included:

1. Issuing paper money, which would inflate the currency and make it easier for farmers to pay off their debts using the devalued money. 2. Enacting laws that kept the financial pressures on farmers to a minimum. 3. Imposing more gradual tax collection methods that would be less onerous for farmers.

Rhode Island, in particular, was notorious for its reluctance to approve measures that would increase the burden on its citizens. It would prioritize local economic stability over the needs of the national government, which sometimes led to conflicts with the broader interests of the United States.