Rough draft :Bacon's Rebellion

Bacon’s Rebellion


Bacon’s Rebellion was a series of black mail, fear, retaliation, corruption, and injustice. In truth the rebellion opened up new discoverers of right and wrong ways to build a government of system. In James town Virginia or also know as New England was the beginning of a government based society. The King of New England wasn’t the ‘king” and the colonist in the New World were able to experience a fresh start. But with a new start came problems between Indentured servants, lower-class colonist, and Indians.




The Governor of James town Virginia was appointed by King Charles I in 1639. When William Berkeley first started out he developed the reputation of being very refined and optimistic. This account was in The Sir William Berkeley writing; “Green Spring some four miles from James Town had become famous for its atmosphere of refinement and good cheer, and as a resort for wondering cavaliers”. People saw him as a leader they could easily follow and respect. However as years passed He grew older and his characters of chief refinement faded to an image of “stern and selfish” like mannerisms.
For example; [“He was now grown old in years and sadly changed in character serving a third term; reigning, “one night almost say”. Stern and selfish as he had become….”] Berkeley held a reputation for up holding peace with Native Americans and causing stirred up anger between colonist because of it. Making him self look selfish and stern to New Englanders and their concerns. The colonists including Nathaniel Bacon were angry with Berkeley’s protection and “favor” for the Indians.






Nathaniel Bacon was loyal to the King of England, but his loyalty to the Virginia was almost non-existence. Of coarse Bacon had a darker motive to get what he wanted out of the Virginia Company the main central powers. Has he lead in the Rebellion that selfishly killed many Indians, cause by his belief that the government favored the Indians interests over there own people. He wanted access to military trained men and weapons, so that he could attack the Susquehanna Indians. His hatred for them was enough to push him to being called a traitor by the governor of Virginian .He was called a rebel because he threatened to act without permission. The governor was making good profit by trading with the Indians he didn’t want to disturb that peace. Also the colonists were being put in
a box of oppression with the tobacco sales down, and their land being ruled by most Indians. They didn’t have much mobility for freedom or room to even really breath in a since. I think the government and Bacon were having a tug a war putting the colonist in the middle of their power hill. The colonists were genuinely in distress and Bacon used them for a place of authority. The governor didn’t want to drop his pride when it came to Bacon his priorities were engaged in doing what he thought was best. So the colonist swayed with Bacon anything to change their present situation.


The Colonist of New England Virginia Were mostly Indentured servants and lower-class citizens. They experienced high paying taxes, land needs, fear of Indians, and what they viewed as a corrupt government.The New Englanders were put in a corner were their ideas, believes, and even fears weren’t honestly being taking care of. I think when they were faced with a problem they had no control over they turned to Nathaniel Bacon who seemed to have all the right answers. Bacon portrayed a perfect hero to the colonist he stood up to the governor, led a revolt against the Indians, burned down the town, and caused a change. To the colonist he was better than no change at all. Even though he black mailed the governor into what he wanted and caused more problems then actual good. The Indians mainly the Susquehanna Indians became much more hostile after Bacon started attacking without warning. The Indians began to retaliate by killing colonist, setting traps, and even capturing them. The Indians lived and dominated the new land first. They could have by right forcefully pushed the colonist off their land, but instead most Indians just made peace (or at least tried). One of the more aggressive tribes was the susquehanocks they killed settlers in way of revenge, and pay back. “The susquehannocks were an exceedingly fierce tribe of Indians but were, just then, at peace with the English settlers”.
I believe the part in the quote “just then”, at peace with the English settlers” is stating how back and forth the emotions were; they are at times peaceful but others times intense and fierce towards settlers. I think it all depended on what crime was committed first the English and the Indians were always playing this war card back and forth on one another. The colonist didn’t like how the Indians got to keep their lands and how favor was being kept between a people the governor barley knew. The colonists were of Berkeley’s own lineage, and he barley gave an interests to how they felt about any situation (especially when it came to the Indians).









Whether they be friends or Foe” the writer who gave a in-depth description of Bacon’s Rebellion and everything that lead up from it, gave a balance of both sides of causes and effects. He depicted the reactions of every person linked who felt the effect of Bacon’s rebellion. Although the writer didn’t choose a side, he did give off a sense of understanding to how bacon’s Rebellion was fed mostly on the concept of power. One might look at the Rebellion as a manipulative strong hand killing Indians just because. Or they could look at it as a place in history where everything was a turning point for new rebellions. However I believe Bacon’s Rebellion was the power struggle between Indians, colonist, and social government. If you look at the struggle between all of the people involved it shows that it was a consistent sprint to self gain. For example; “Bacon was kin to one of Virginia’s leading families, possessed considerable wealth, had connections with Berkeley, and received an appointment to the governor’s council at the age of twenty nine”. Bacon was far more off than most people in New England he had money, connections, land, and all of this at a young age. He didn’t need to lead a rebellion because he wasn’t suffering like the colonist; he wanted more power and control over a situation that wasn’t his to fight. The colonists he led in mascara’s of killing were lower-class and indentured servants they didn’t have a fraction of what Bacon possessed. So why would Bacon go through all that trouble to start a rebellion? “He claimed that by organizing the unauthorized campaign against the encroaching Indians he was providing a release for the frustration of colonist”. I formulate that Bacon did it for self gaining purposes and a way to win the trust of colonist so he could be elected into a place of authority. Bacon was elected, but then later on revolted further more to burn down James town. He seemed to want what he wanted and if he didn’t get it he black mailed, caused division, and would kill whole tribes of Indians. This is just one example of power domination the Indians were in a power mode but in a different way. “Neither group resorted to rebellion against the governments, but both clearly expressed their resentment and dissatisfaction with the treatment the received. The Indians reacted the way they were first attacked, but they continued being bitter and resentful. They weren’t like the English but they did want power over their selves, land, and respect.

Document four by the Royal Commissioners, stated that “the Indians sent out five great men to treaty of peace, who were not permitted to return to the fort, but being kept prisoners some tyme were at last murdered by the English…” in this particular situation the writer was trying to portray how different the Indians were from the English . In this quote it says how the Indians went for peace… and the English might have misunderstood what the Indians were doing so colonist held the Indians captive and killed them. The writer also gives another side where not just the English act out but the Indians retaliate. “Susquahanocks in revenge of the Maryland business came suddenly down upon the weak plantations at the head of Rappahanock and Potomaque and killed at one time 36 persons and then immediately (as their custome is) ran off into the woods.” The Indians displayed a level of animosity that was equal to the Englanders rage. That being said there were certain situations that both the colonists and the Indians reacted differently given the circumstance. In the first quote the Indians wanted to make peace, but the English killed them why they killed them? Maybe because they felt the Indians were too savage to be saved, or they genuinely hated who they were. In document thirteen by the royal commissioners, “so the common cry and vogue of the vulgar was, away with these forts, away with these distinctions, we will have war with all Indians…. We will spare none”. The English wanted them all gone as if they never existed. The Indians seem to show almost the same level of intent.
Document five by unknown author, “For in a very short time [in January 1676, the Susquehanna’s] had, in a most inhumane manner, murdered no less then sixty innocent people, no way guilty of any actuall injury don to these ill disarming, brutish heathen.”The writer states his emotion which clearly is bitterly distasteful towards the Susquehanna Indians. That these people inhumanly strike at the Englanders and how they treat them. From the author’s point of view there was no balance it was the Indians inhuman nature that caused the split between the English and the Indians. Bacon’s rebellion made a dent in all areas including the Indians emotions towards the English both sides were affected substantially. But both sides also ran for a higher power domination causing all kinds of problems that could have probably been fixed over a few changes between colonist, government rule, and Indians. I can’t easily pick a side in Bacon’s rebellion I believe both sides were equally wrong. Mainly because I can’t really justify siding with Indians when they killed, set traps, and deceived just as much as the English. But I can’t really side with the English because they lead a revolt to kill all Indians, tried to over throw a government, and also deceived. Bacon’s Rebellion was a power control and it shows two types of people fighting a war because they are afraid. Not because they have a handle on what they were doing, but because without power and control they would be slaves to a corrupt society. Both Indians and colonist would be slaves and both wanted freedom.

In A Young History of the United States the writers say “this was Bacon’s Rebellion. It was not a war of American Colonists against the British. Instead, Bacon’s Rebellion was an uprising of angry, poor colonists against two groups they saw as their enemies.” [35] The two groups that were their enemies; were the Virginia Company and the Indians. Bacon’s Rebellion was described in many different ways; Whether Bacon's Rebellion was right or wrong it still made a significant impact for future generations. It was the beginning for new foundations and establishments. It worked out certain kinks that may have caused an even bigger war for the New England territory. The principal it brought was a way to move past what had happened and continue building what they started. The reality of them moving on never happened. Gradually they moved on with a great system of government, but it didn’t take the Rebellion being over for them to fixes all the problems. It took years of wars and situations like the rebellion to help shift New England into a place of equal rights and freedoms. Bacon’s rebellion had a lot of different under lined issues but one thing that connects all of them is power. The colonist, Indians, and government officials, in some form or another used Bacon’s Rebellion as an outlet for power domination.













Work citation.


www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books.com
"A Note on Historical Interpretation" by Leon J. Goldstein
www.conservapedia.com
47 documents
www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books.com
www.newrivernotes.com
“Whether they be friends or foes” “by Michael J. Puglisi”
www.jstor.org