rough draft two: Bacon's Rebellion

Rebecca Ball
10/19/08




Bacon’s Rebellion



Bacon’s Rebellion was a result of blackmail, fear, retaliation, corruption, and injustice. The rebellion opened up new discoverers of right and wrong ways to build a government of system. Jamestown Virginia was the beginning of a government based society. The King of England wasn’t the king of New England, so the colonists in the New World were able to experience a fresh start. But with a new start came problems between indentured servants, lower-class colonists, and Indians.




The Governor of Jamestown Virginia was appointed by King Charles I in 1639. When William Berkeley began his tenure as governor he developed the reputation of being - refined and optimistic. In the story of Bacon’s rebellion-Virginia, 1676 it says: “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 had a reputation for up holding peace with Native Americans and stirring up anger between colonist because of it. 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 Company was almost non-existence. 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 access to 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. The colonists faced financial hardship- for example; the tobacco sales were down, and Indians ruled a huge percentage of land. The governor and Bacon were at odds with each other using colonist’s issues as the central power in their fight. The colonists were genuinely in distress and Bacon used their needs as a gate way for a power step. The governor didn’t want to relent from taking bacon down, so he ended up Turing the majority of settlers against him. The colonist swayed with Bacon, because they believed he was the antidote for greater results.


The Colonist of New England Virginia Were mostly Indentured servants and lower-class citizens. They were stressed with high paying taxes, land needs, fear of Indians, and what they viewed as a corrupt government. The settlers were placed on the back of a shelf as far as their ideas, believe, and even fears. When they were faced with the problem of not being heard and they couldn’t control what was being done 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 blackmailed the governor into what he wanted and caused more problems then actual good.) The Indians especially the Susquehanna Indians became much more hostile after Bacon started attacking without warning. The Indians retaliated by killing colonist, setting traps, and even capturing them. The Indians lived and dominated the new land first, and they could have by right forcefully pushed the colonist off their land, but instead most Indians just made peace (or at least tried). “The susquehannocks were an exceedingly fierce tribe of Indians but were, just then, at peace with the English settlers”. 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. It all depended on what crime was committed first; the English and the Indians were always fighting like bothers if one struck the other they would strike back but more aggressively each time. The colonist didn’t like how the Indians were allowed to keep their land and how favor was being kept between Indians and the government. The colonists were Berkeley’s own lineage, and he hardly gave 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. This is just one example of power domination.



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. Bacon’s rebellion was a balance of cruelties that can’t be decided over immoral justice; both sides were equally wrong. Mainly because its not justified siding with Indians when they killed, set traps, and deceived just as much as the English. But one can’t really side with the English either 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.













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