Vince Coppola

10/12/07

Bacon’s Rebellion Draft (Body Only)

Despite the fact that many people believe that politics and the economy were the major contributing factors to Bacon’s Rebellion, it was actually conflicts among the social classes in the Chesapeake region during the 17^th century that played the major role. Initially, the lower (or poorer) classes were deprived of many of the rights that were only distributed to the upper class citizens, including the right to be protected by the government. This is attributed to the elite themselves for hogging control of the government and only electing their own people into office. They did this so they could maintain their high level of power and control over the society and only protect and benefit themselves. There were also many accounts of favoritism issued by the Governor Berkeley himself to his most favorite group of tidewater gentry according to an annotation which summarizes a portion of Bacon’s famous Declaration, “Bacon’s Declaration challenged the economic and political privileges of the governor’s circle of favorites” (historymatters.gmu.edu).

Undoubtedly, the frontiersmen suffered from many side effects as a result of being left out of the governors little circle of favorites. These awful effects included small estates, unfertile soil, and constant Indian raids due to their position on the frontier. It was their hate for the Indians that fueled much of the rebellion’s motivation.  In Bacon’s declaration of his rebellion in 1676 he wrote, “For having protected, favored, and emboldened the Indians against his Majesty’s loyal subjects, never contriving, requiring, or appointing any due or proper means of satisfaction for their many invasions, robberies, and murders committed upon us” (historymatters.gmu.edu). This serves as evidence of the Governor’s negligence to protect the lower classes of society; nor show any interest in any class but his own. This constant struggle with the Indians was the first initiation of Bacon’s bond with the frontiersmen.

Bacon already lived on a large estate and had excellent relations with people in office; the Governor Berkeley being his cousin. He was fueled by his hunger for power and his now common hate for the Indians.

Susan McCulley commented on the degree to which the colonists attacked the Indians when she wrote, “The situation became critical when, in a retaliatory strike by the colonists, they attacked the wrong Indians, the Susquehanaugs, which caused large scale Indian raids to begin” (nps.gov). They led many raids against the Indian tribes along the frontier in spite of both the Indians themselves and the Governor Berkeley. In 1676, Nathaniel Bacon led his band of followers straight to the capital and pressed the governor to clear the frontier of all Indian tribes. When the governor refused to obey Bacon’s orders, even when threatened with death, Bacon formed his “Declaration of the People” on July 30, 1676.

Bacon’s famous declaration made points against both the local Indians and against Governor Berkeley (historymatters.gmu.edu):

For having, when the army of English was just upon the track of those Indians, who now in all places burn, spoil, murder and when we might with ease have destroyed them who then were in open hostility, for then having expressly countermanded and sent back our army by passing his word for the peaceable demeanor of the said Indians, who immediately prosecuted their evil intentions, committing horrid murders and robberies in all places, being protected by the said engagement and word past of him the said Sir William Berkeley, having ruined and laid desolate a great part of his Majesty’s country, and have now drawn themselves into such obscure and remote places and are by their success so emboldened and confirmed by their confederacy so strengthened that the cries of blood are in all places, and the terror and consternation of the people so great, are now become not only difficult but a very formidable enemy who might at first with ease have been destroyed.                                                              

They formed a militia and began leading even more raids along the frontier against local Indian tribes; whether peaceful or not. But their raids did not stop with just the Indians, according to this article they also acted against their social superiors, “Bacon and his band pillaged and ransacked tidewater plantations” (caho-test.cc.columbia.edu).

This rebellion continued in full fury until Bacon’s death of dysentery in October of 1676. Because the leader was now gone, his followers soon disbanded. Any followers who were left remaining found themselves under heavy persecution by the governor. The execution of the rebels lasted for some months until one thousand English soldiers arrived from England to suppress all of the calamity caused by the rebellion and its aftermath.

Despite the short life of the rebellion, it did of course have some sort of impact on the Virginian society. In the months following the rebellion, the planter elite still maintained social superiority although they now recognized the threat that the poorer citizens, indentured servants, and slaves posed against them. Because of this, an army was soon formed to expand the frontier and free it from all Indians. The results of all of this new land brought satisfaction to the poorer settlers because they no longer suffered from Indian attacks and now had more land to harvest.

If I were to properly assess the occurrences of Bacon’s rebellion and compare them to a point in my life, I would recall a time during the recent years of my life. Because the disproportional distribution of land and money to the lower class citizens relates so well to teenage years, I can remember countless times when I felt like parents, teachers and other authorities were only worrying about themselves and how much they could benefit from things that actually negatively affected me.

One time, my mom wanted to go to a fancy dinner at a friend’s house because she was trying to enlist the mother to become one of her future clients. In her selfish thoughts of her own business, she totally neglected to realize how big of a bully the family’s kids were to me. Every time I went over there, it was nothing but constant harassing and beating. I finally told my mom that I wouldn’t partake in her business affairs any longer and I would go to her client’s house no more.

My situation relates very well with the negligence the government issued to the lower class colonists and how they eventually rebelled and took matters into their own hands to defeat the Indians. Although I didn’t actually defeat my Indians, I did by means of greater intellect decide to avoid them and therefore sustain my life for future years to come.

This entry was posted by vincentcoppola, on Wednesday, October 17, 2007. You can leave your response.