Bacon's Rebellion Research Paper

Nathaniel Bacon's Rebellion was significant in early colonial history because it pronounced the grim collapse of Native American tribes residing in the Chesapeake region, it brought the first, but short-lived, sign of change within the colonial government to achieve equality, and it produced defining black slavery as opposed to the earlier indentured servitude.

“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"

Telling of his hero status and aristocratic lifestyle, Bacon is displayed as an honorable man. Despite not being granted approval, Bacon carried out an aggressive attack of the Indians. Rather than harming his intended target, Bacon killed friendly, peaceful Indians. After this horrid display of aggressiveness, Bacon left Jamestown. When he returned, he found a militia formed by William Berkeley and proceeded to burn the houses of Jamestown. Schweikart makes it seem as though Bacon acted alone. Zinn barely mentions Bacon’s rebellion. When he does mention it, he uses it to prove a point about the fraternization of blacks and whites. Zinn claims that colonists thought the only thing worse than slave rebellions were rebellions in which blacks and whites came together. This was the case for Bacon’s rebellions, although this was never mentioned in Schweikart’s text. Zinn states that “two despised groups,” namely black and white servants, joined forces. This led to laws being passed to prevent the intermingling of whites and blacks in any way. This contrast in texts leaving nothing but a confused reader and an unclear

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,

Previous to the American Revolution, Bacon’s Rebellion was one of the largest revolts in history, and accordingly its consequences include the American Revolution. It was the war between the English and the Indians, and the civil war between the colonists of Jamestown and their government. But it was also the fierce struggle between two powerful leaders with very different beliefs. The African slaves and white indentured servants joined together to fight side by side against their common "enemies."

In 1676, Nathaniel Bacon planned genocide agains the Indian’s resolving to not leave one alive. His force was trying to be stopped by Governor Berkley so that he can monopolize the trade of deer hide. Bacon later rioted the town and burnt down Jamestown as well as the capitol.

Bacon's Rebellion may have served as the first civil uprising within the early settlements of America. Led by Nathaniel Bacon, a militia of armed freedmen, slaves, and poor colonist banded together to fight against a government that they felt was corrupt and did not have their best interests in mind. This paper will examine some of the major causes that led to the rebellion such as the increased westward expansion by the colonists, the civil unrest growing between the social classes, rising taxes, and disputes between colonists and neighboring indian tribes.

Nathaniel Bacon is one of the few rebellious people whose name has been taught from school to school in America. “Why is that?”, you may ask, “why him? Why is his rebellion significant in American history?”. Bacon’s rebellion used to be seen as the start of the American Revolution, but now, modern historians have uncovered the truth of the Virginian Rebellion of 1676. Historians have found out that the real issue that caused Nathaniel Bacon’s rebellion was his stubbornness and selfishness. People may specifically point fingers to a number of reasons for Bacon 's rebellion, they may include the following: economic problems, commercial competition from Maryland and Carolina, a restricted English market, and the rising prices from English

Berkeley saw Bacon’s action as a direct challenge to his own authority. The governor didn’t like his choices, and now refused to grant him anything. However the council, fearing the awful consequences of disrupting an unhappy individual who was ready armed and had the governor, council, and assembly entirely in their power, told the governor to accept his request. With much hesitancy the governor signed it, and put the power of war and peace into Bacon’s hands. This was not a good decision to make considering Bacon just came to the council and threatened them to grant his wishes. He then immediately marched off, achieving his end, which was in effect power to acquire a trust of the Indian trade for himself and his friends. The governor, having failed to raise an army against Bacon to fight his men, had no choice but to flee to the Eastern shore. He then gathered enough strength to return to Jamestown, where he proclaimed Bacon and his men. Berkley had called for new elections to the Burgesses for better aid of the Native American problem. Bacon was not serving his business in the House of Burgesses; instead he was at his plantation miles away. By then the governor had a small party with him. He aided them with clothes, arms and ammunitions, in order to cross the bay and oppose the rebel. Bacon feared that he could not fight against them then decided set fire to the town to solve

Berkeley did not care about the farmers. It was obvious that the only thing he

After sometime he started having problems with his plantation because some native americans was angry and were very aggressive towards colonist, attacking random people, livestock and stealing food and supplies and from time to time killing settlers. Bacon had the idea that the only solution was to wage an all out war with the native americans. He planned to wipe every single one of them out, but the Governor Berkeley has openly opposed Bacon, their conflict escalated quickly. Nathaniel Bacon later lead a rebellion against Covernor William Berkeley. Bacon and his followers left Jameston just to come back on june 23rd and wanted to Bacon to be the general. This led to a violent uproar which became one of the first rebellion in america. Bacon was labeled as a rebel by Berkeley and completely refused Bacons demands. Nathaniel Bacon influenced america by leading one of the first rebellions in

Bacon's Rebellion in 1676 was the first rebellion in the colonies and it largely resulted in the hardening of racial lines with slavery. The plantation owners and farmers now saw it as a dangerous asset to have white indentured servants as workers and also saw having slaves as a much higher profit. By the establishment of the Virginia colony and its use of producing the tobacco cash crop, boatloads of slaves were brought to work and profit the upper class plantation owners. What became known as the Middle Passage became nothing more to the white upper-class than profit and population increase. At the end of the seventeenth century, it was established that 40,000 people lived in Virginia however the number of slaves brought to the colony was unknown.

2) Bacon’s Rebellion, King Phillip’s War, and the Pequot War all derided from the yearning of land, and land agreements with both local landowners and Natives. Bacon’s Rebellion essentially was due to the inadequate amount of land now-freed indentured servants could attain. A few large families or companies owned all of the land leaving none for future businessmen in hopes of making a profit off of agricultural endeavors. The impact of Bacon’s rebellion was the end to Indentured Servitude within the colonies and, more importantly, the introduction of Slavery within Virginia.

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.