They Say Bacon's Rebellion

When it comes to the topic of Bacon's Rebellion, most of us will readily agree that the Indians were mistreated. Where this agreement usually ends, however, the rebellion was suppose to effect who? Whereas some are convinced that the up rise was towards the corrupt government in Virginia, others maintain that it was hatred towards the Indians.In Zinn and Stefoff's view, "the Politicians and big landowners who ran the colony wouldn't fight - Maybe because the were using some of the Indians as spies and allies against the others."(pg.36) Zinn and Stefoff is insisting that the powerful people in authority were favoring the Indians over the poor colonists, because they are using the Indians and unwilling to defend for the colonists. Even though puglisi writes about how in 1675 the Praying Indians were accused of being involved in an attack on Lancaster, it was only a suspicion created by the Indians culture and traditions of "Singing and Dancing, and Having Bullets and Slugs, and much Powder hid in their Baskets."(Puglisi pg.80) So why is government defending Lancaster but not the colonists on the frontier. This were all of Bacon's supporters come from is angry people feeling ignored and betrayed by Virginia council/government. According to Zinn and Stefoff, "It blended the frontiersmen's hatred of the Indians with the common people's anger toward the rich."(pg.38) Basically, Zinn and Stefoff is saying that Bacon's Rebellion is a combination of the issue between the frontiersmen and the Indians and the issue between the common men and the rich. Puglisi states "they portrayed their continuing belief that in spite of difficult circumstances, they deserved better."(pg.83) Puglisi point is that it is obvious that the Indians were mistreated.