Colonial America was a time filled with hardships and inequality. The idea of who should have rights and how they should be administered was very common throughout the 17th and 18th centuries within the colonies. At this time, colonies were having trouble themselves with their own government laws as their mother country, Great Britain, ruled over them from nearly 3,000 miles away across the Atlantic Ocean. Colonists, themselves, felt that they should be in power and wanted to create their own government, which eventually led to the American Revolution. At this time, rights were only being provided for rich, white, land- owning males. Over the 17th and 18th centuries, events such as Bacon's Rebellion, The Great Awakening, and The Stono …show more content…
The big idea of rights within Colonial America dealt with how to control the rights of slaves. Bacon's Rebellion was a popular revolt in colonial Virginia in 1676, led by Nathaniel Bacon. Actions such as “for having raised great unjust taxes”, “for having abused and rendered contemptible the magistrates of justice”, and “for not having advanced this hopeful colony either by fortifications, towns, or trade” (Nathaniel Bacon's Declaration, page 1), Sir William Berkeley provided the background for the uprising. Even though this event occurred mainly between colonists and Native American tribes, it brought an idea to the colonists to use slaves instead of indentured servants, which was significant to the idea that slaves would have no rights. The rebellion had multiple results, one being an unpopular governor had been temporarily removed. Progress was made toward frustrating the Indians; the tribes realized that they stood little chance against the settlers' superior power and signed another peace treaty in 1677. However, the political strength of the common farmers and laborers had not improved. So, these plantation- owning families came to realize that unemployed, former indentured servants were a threat to social stability. They then turned increasingly to the use of slaves, who were regarded as a safer source of labor and were less expensive. This led to an even greater use of slaves, which just caused larger
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.
Bacon rebellions occurred in 1676 and ended in 1677. It took place in Virginia and the cause for this rebellion is because governor William Berkeley, refused to retaliate against native Americans who had attacked settlements on the frontier lines. Also he refused to move into the Indians territory when many pushed
“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"
The years of 1763-1765 were truly defining moments for colonist of the colonies, soon to become the United States of America. ‘’War! War! This is the only way!” American Colonist shouted,as they took to the streets proclaiming defiance of British rule. “We as a people shall fight for our freedom and have victory.No more shall we continue to let others control our countries and give our money to a monarch who has no concern for our right’s, dedication that was put forth to help fight and respect us as loyal subjects.We must fight for our freedom!” When American colonist waged war it proved to be the only way for the colonies to become free from Britian. In turn, the colonist were justified in breaking away from England because of: The
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,
Bacon’s Rebellion helped originate slavery in Jamestown, Virginia in the Chesapeake region. Nathaniel Bacon was a white land owner in this town who brought together indentured servants and other poor whites to overthrow their elites due to the
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.
For a better part of the eighteenth century, the American colonists expressed vexation and disapproval of the "coercive " acts, which the British Government perpetrated on the colony through series of legislative acts by the British Parliament. Prior to the acts that the colonists in America termed as atrocious and oppressive, they were willing to cooperate and reaffirm loyalty to the King of England. Some of the legislations and declarations that colonists participated in was the sustenance of British soldiers in the colony, payment of import tariffs and other forms of taxes to support the British central government. These are but a few, the reasons as to why colonists objected to the mode of British rule in America. Another concern was the "Rights violations" by the English government regarding economic progress and representation. Because of these grievances, British colonists in America stepped up agitation through violation of the "tyrannical" Acts and petitions through the Continental Congress. The essay explores the grievances that Colonists in America held against the British government, in riposte to "My Dear America Cousin" letter.
The British rule in the colonies was largely unquestioned before these major rebellions because of the enormous military and political power Britain had to quell any defiance. However, the British did underestimate the mounting tension in the colonies that resulted from the harsh treatment of slaves and inadequate government policies protecting Virginian farmers. As seen in both Bacon’s Rebellion and the Stono
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.
During the late 1700’s the American colonists waged a war for independance on the British arguing their fundamental liberties had been deprived. As the founding fathers declared themselves independent from Great Britain, and built their new nation, they quickly addressed their ambitions in the Constitution. However as the former colonists built their new nation, they decided their revolution ambitions needed pragmatic alterations. These objectives that the former colonists addressed in the Declaration of Independence were in one way or another modified, expanded upon, or subverted. The dispute of civil rights for the Colonists was expanded upon and subverted, in order to appeal to white property owning males. Furthermore the former Colonists wanted to create a form government in which the citizens had the power, this intention was expanded upon
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
The American Revolution is defined as the political turbulence that took place towards the end of eighteenth century when thirteen colonies in America united to attain freedom from the British Empire (Clifford, 2005). The union of the thirteen colonies is now known as the United States of America. According to Clifford (2005), the American Revolution occurred because of a series of political, intellectual, and social transformations in the American government and society, which is known as the American Enlightenment. The American Revolution created a variety of opportunities for the American slaves to attain freedom (Waldstreicher, 2004). Slaves were provided with an opportunity to escape their thralldom by being recruited
With his army, Bacon also found other ways to make his voice heard. This included the burning down of Jamestown in September of 1676 and the rebellion led in his name known as “Bacon’s Rebellion.” The short-lived rebellion, fueled by a number of factors—high and unfair tax rates, the feeling of not being protected, disagreement on how to handle neighboring Native Americans, and favoritism/corruption among rulers, just to name a few—unfortunately dispersed following the death of its leader on October 26, 1676. However, Bacon’s efforts had a lasting effect. The most obvious change had to do with the lowering of tax rates. At the same time, the rebellion paved way for equality. The idea of the consent of the people was established and Sir William Berkeley’s successors were careful in the ways they ruled and were mindful of the people, fearing a rebellion similar to Bacon’s would happen