Draft 4

__Bacon’s Rebellion is acknowledged for being “one of the most confusing yet intriguing chapters in Jamestown’s history. For many years, historians considered the Virginia Rebellion of 1676 to be the first stirring revolutionary sentiment in America” (globalsecurity.org). The power struggle between Nathaniel Bacon and Sir William Berkeley, Governor of Virginia, affected not only the colony and the colonists, but the Indians as well. Howard Zinn and Rebecca Stefoff wrote in their book A Young People’s History of the United States, “The frontiersmen felt that the colonial government had let them down. They were angry, and they weren’t the only ones.” (p.36).Many colonists were granted land that Virginia did not own; colonists became aggravated and angry when they did not receive land that was promised to them. The land that few colonists did receive was actually the Indians land, which is why there was severe conflict between colonists on the frontier and the Indians. The colonists were very upset with issues of the colony not being solved, which is when they used the Indians as scapegoat for someone to blame. Why did the colonists of Virginia take their frustrations out on the Indians?

__Governor Berkeley was not protecting the colonists and was suspected of favoring the Indians. Mrs. William Bird states in the article Royal Commissioners Narrative, that "there was said to be above two hundred of the English murdered by the barbarous Indians, and posts [messages] came in daily to the Governor, giving notice of it, and yet no course was taken to secure them." Anyone familiar with governing should agree that ignoring the people will not make you successful. Berkeley is clearly ignoring the issues and problems that Virginia colonists have and is not protecting them.

__Another point that Elizabeth Bacon is insisting is in a letter to her sister says "the Indians killing the people (English colonists) daily, the Governor not taking any notice of it to hinder them, but let them daily do all the mischief they can… the Governor so much their friend, that he would not suffer any body to hurt one of the Indians... he (Nathaniel Bacon) begged of the Governor for a commission in several letters to him, that he might go out against them, but he would not grant one." Elizabeth’s assertion that the Governor is ignoring the colonists fits the facts. If he is denying permission for the colonists to defend themselves from the Indians than it is obvious that he does not care for the well being of the colonists. Berkeley is more concerned with protecting the Indians and keeping their friendship.

__The article A True Narrative of the Late Rebellion in Virginia, by the Royal Commissioners, 1677, excerpts, says "the [Colonists were] jealous that the Governor for the lucre of the Beaver and other trade etc. with the Indians, rather sought to protect the Indians than them. Since after public Proclamation prohibiting all trade with the Indians (they complain) he privately gave commission to some of his Friends to truck with them, and that those persons furnished the Indians with Powder, Shot etc.., so that they were better provided than his Majesty's Subjects." The Evidence Shows that Berkeley is taking advantage of his privilege of being Governor. He is betraying the colonists by trading with Indians and selecting few friends to trade with them as well. This results in the Governor gaining profit and allowing Indians to get a hold of weapons.



__Another statement from the article "Whether They be Friends of Foes," is that "as attacks on New England towns continued unabated, and as more and more homes went up in flames, some colonists sought to vent their frustrations on the Praying Indians of Deer Island." The evidence shows that the Indians were getting the short end of the stick; the more bad that happened to the colonists the more the colonists took it out on the Indians. Puglisi again states that "those Praying Indians who were allowed to stay on the mainland felt the brunt of the colonists' suspicions first-hand. During the fall of 1675, when the white residents of Chelmsford suffered from a series of mysterious fires in baystacks, barns, and houses, they immediately suspected the neighboring Wamesit Indians." The Colonists assertion that the Indians were responsible for everything that went wrong was based off of suspicion with no evidence to prove them guilty. Colonists are being unfair to the Indians and punishing them with no proof or evidence. They were using the Indians as a scapegoat to blame for any mistake or problem.

__All in all, the fight for power between Mr. Bacon and Mr. Berkeley affected the colony, colonists, and the Indians by the conflict created from the Rebellion. The Government was giving land to colonists on the frontier which caused conflict between the Indians and the frontiersmen, because the land was really the Indians. This was resulting in frustration from colonists when Governor Berkeley seemed to ignore the friction between colonists and Indians. The colonists felt unsafe, betrayed, and unheard from the government, which built up a lot of anger and frustration that were taken out on the Indians.