Brice Everson Mrs. Blomme Honors I 30 September 2014 Bacon 's Rebellion The definition of courage as defined by Dictionary.com is the ability to do something that frightens one. A rebellion takes courage. It 's not something the average human being can do. One cannot simply expect just anyone to verbally stand up for what they believe is right. Courage is not something found in a common human being. Sure, everyone has it somewhere deep down, but as for that select group of people who aren’t afraid to stand up for what they believe is right: They are the ones that make a difference. Nathaniel Bacon wasn’t by any means a “great man” but he definitely wasn’t afraid to take charge of a situation that involved him, directly or indirectly, and stand up for himself. He was the type of relentless figure that made a difference in history because he had one thing we all strive to have: Courage. Bacon’s Rebellion, also known as the Virginia Rebellion, took place in Jamestown, Virginia in 1676. “Bacon 's Rebellion was probably one of the most confusing yet intriguing chapters in Jamestown 's history” (McCulley). This rebellion is considered to be the first “stirring of revolutionary sentiment in America,...(McCulley).” It is still disputed by historians today about whether the attack by Nathaniel Bacon on the governor of Virginia, Sir William Berkeley, was justified or not. It all started in 1675, during the Susquehannock War. Many Virginians disagreed on the
In the first place, Nathaniel Bacon's Rebellion was significant in early colonial history because it pronounced the grim collapse of Native American tribes that were residing in the Chesapeake region at the time. In his Declaration in the name of the people, Nathaniel Bacon cited several discrepancies against the Governor including, "For having protected, favoured, and Imboldned the
“Virginia Laws Governing Servant and Slave” reveals the rebellions of servants and slaves who united to fight against their masters. Bacon’s Rebellion, in 1676, occurred in the Virginia Colony in opposition to Virginia's Indian policy (Roark, The American Promise, p. 79). Bacon’s Rebellion demonstrated that poor whites and poor blacks could be united in a cause, and it shows that they are capable of challenging the ruling class together. Virginia lawmakers enacted the laws to prevent the servants and slaves from uniting to fight against masters. According to "Document 2: Law Making Slave Status Inherited from Mother, 1662" the Virginia legislators punished interracial sexual relations, "And that if any Christian shall commit fornication with a negro man or woman, hee or shee soe offending shall pay double the ffines imposed by the former act"
In 1676, Nathaniel Bacon rebelled and held a revolt in Colonial Virginia. High taxes, low prices for tobacco, and resentment against special privileges given those close to the governor, Sir William Berkeley, provided the background for the uprising. These factors made the rebellion inevitable. All of the chaos was precipitated by Governor Berkeley's failure to defend the frontier against attacks by Native Americans. Bacon commanded two unauthorized but successful expeditions against the tribes and was then elected to the new House of Burgesses, which Berkeley had been forced to convene. Berkeley then sent out a warrant for his arrest and Bacon was put in jail. Bacon soon was released and he immediately gathered his supporters,
Sir William Berkeley arrived in Virginia in 1642 to act as the Colonial Governor of Virginia. He was the King’s envoy in Virginia, though he was a selfish royalist who believed in himself before the King. He brought together some
In the year 1676, colonists of Jamestown rose up and rebelled against their governor, Sir William Berkeley, following the slaughter of several hundred colonists by the Native Americans. Their leader, Nathaniel Bacon, claimed that he was fighting for the colonists best interests because it was his duty to protect them. Following Bacon 's lead, the rebellion began attacking all Native Americans, both hostile and peaceful. Was Bacon a hero for attempting to protect the colonists, and putting a stop to the attacks from the Native Americans? Or a traitor for attacking innocent people, and trying to take Jamestown from Berkeley and the other colonists? While Bacon claimed his actions were for the protection of the colonists, they do not justify his actions. Bacon attacked many peaceful tribes of Native Americans, and in doing so he put many colonists in danger. And Berkeley was not any better considering he was willing to sit back and watch it all unfold.
Historians decide what parts of history are important, and those that are not. Historiography is how history is recorded, and it has a role in Bacon’s Rebellion. Historians chose what was important about it, and weaved it into a story. But, some facts may have been left out. Depending on what story is chosen, who tells the story, when it is told, and which evidence is selected to construct it, the historical account could have changed dramatically through historian’s interpretation. Through a compilation of reliable articles and facts, a story has been woven together. You will hear about the character of Nathaniel Bacon, the events leading up to the rebellion, the actual rebellion, and the aftermath of the rebellion.
Bacon’s Rebellion was a rebellion consisted of Virginia settlers led by Nathaniel Bacon. Taking place in 1676, the sole purpose was to fight against Governor William Berkeley. As the 1600’s progressed, Bacon’s Rebellion became a turning point for United States history because there is an overwhelming amount of information accessible for learning how we have evolved from topics such as slavery. We can value this information because it allows us to analyze the past like in Document A titled, “The Tale of Anthony Johnson.”
Berkeley did not care about the farmers. It was obvious that the only thing he
Bacon's Rebellion is considered to be one of the most confusing and fascinating part Jamestown's history. The main parties involved in Bacon's Rebellion were complete opposites and oddly enough cousins by marriage. Governor Sir William Berkeley was a veteran of the English Civil Wars, a frontier Indian fighter, a Governor in the 1640's, a playwright and scholar. Sir William Berkeley’s reputation as Governor of Virginia was well respected. The other member involved was Nathaniel Bacon. Bacon was a known as a troublemaker and conspirator whose father sent him to Virginia with the hope that he would mature. Bacon was intelligent and moving and once Bacon arrived in Virginia, Berkeley treated him with respect and friendship. Berkeley granted him both substantial land grant and a seat on the council in 1675.
Bacon's rebellion was led by a group of former indentured servants who were now free, without
Bacon's Rebellion is probably the best example of what the rich and powerful were afraid of in a sense poor whites and poor blacks fighting as one it was this fear that caused the rich and powerful to invent laws to prevent this sort of thing from happening again. Bacons Rebellion began the English settlers started inland to the west, which meant moving into the natives land. this was sure to cause tension between the two sides another main factor to the rebellion was the dry summer that was causing crops to wither and die. Bacon was elected to the House of Burgesses and his radical views about Indians lead to him being put in prison. when two thousand Virginians marched upon the prison bacon was released. shortly after this bacon took his
Bacon’s Rebellion made a huge impact on the people of Virginia which changed the people’s views and also the society. Before Bacon’s Rebellion
Bacon's Rebellion was a bloody uprising against American Indians and the colonial government whom William Berkeley was a governor. When Bacon arrived at Jamestown, planting tobacco wasn't profitable as it was before. The tobacco price had fallen down as more and more newcomers came to America as laborers in the tobacco fields. Race played a main role in this rebellion in which the American Indians were viewed as trade inferiors to Bacon. Thus, Bacon's motive of getting rid of the American Indians was triggered. Furthermore, the colonial refused to support Bacon's idea in which urged him to challenge them.
1. The author of the text is Nathaniel Bacon, he was a wealthy young englishmen who arrived in virginia in 1674 [1]. Although Mr. Bacon had a friendship with virginias royal govener, he still found himself excluded from the goveners circle of influencial friends and councilers [1].
Bacon criticizes Sir William Berkeley for not holding the interest of the colonists as his primary concern. Instead, Bacon claims that Berkeley’s empathy for the local Native Americans eclipses that for his own subjects. Colonists of the time could have easily pieced together the hypocrisy behind Bacon’s call to arms. Nathaniel Bacon held a great deal of land and merely wished to expand upon it. The motive behind this was purely for his own gain. I would also like to note the similarity between Bacon’s feelings for expansion and Manifest Destiny in the 19th-century.