Portfolio: Essay #1

Rebels



____Bacon’s Rebellion has been 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” (2). 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.” (7). Many colonists were granted land that Virginia did not own. Others became aggravated and angry when they did not receive land that was promised to them. The land that a 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 that this conflict was neglected, and began to use the Indians as a scapegoat for someone to blame and for some attention. Bacon’s Rebellion occurred because of poorly run government, and a replacement for a supportive leader stepped in, turning the situation into a rebellion.

Undoubtedly, Governor Berkeley caused frustration for the colonists by his poor decisions as leader. For instance, Wilbur Gordy describes William Berkeley as a “narrow-minded, selfish man”(5). He cared more about his possessions than his own people in the colony. Many of these frustrations started when Berkeley ignored the problems the Indians were causing for the colonists living on the frontier. 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."(3). Anyone familiar with government will agree that ignoring the people will not make a successful leader. Berkeley should have taken control of the situation and made a decision on how to react. Instead, he ignored the problem, which resulted in igniting the fire. The more Berkeley pretended nothing was wrong, the more angry and frustrated the colonists became. There was nothing left for the colonists to do, except go to Nathaniel Bacon for help. Mr. Bacon was a wealthy landowner who was sympathetic with the common people. He was willing to lead them in their fight against Berkeley and the Indians.

Even though Nathaniel Bacon requested a commission to defend the colonists from the Indians, the Governor still denied them protection. Elizabeth Bacon emphasizes in a letter to her sister, "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."(1). 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, then 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. Even after Mr. Bacon request permission to defend colonists, Governor Berkeley simply denies him of his request, without compromising or finding another solution. Berkeley’s poor judgment of abandoning the colonists results in the people turning on him in rebellious acts.

While Mr. Berkeley was neglected the colonists he was also profited from the friendship between himself and the Indians, trading goods with them and keeping them allies, which was more important to him than being a good governor. The article, A True Narrative of the Late Rebellion in Virginia, by the Royal Commissioners, 1677, excerpts, "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."(4). 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 a few friends to trade with them as well. This results in the Governor gaining profit and allowing Indians to get a hold of weapons. Consequently, Indians gaining weapons leads to even more disaster for the frontiersmen, who have been getting attacked from those same Indians. Hence, the fact the colonists are angry with the Indians is due to Sir William Berkeley’s allowing Indians to have control of weapons and thus attack them.

In addition to Berkeley allowing the Indians to attack the colonists, now he is trading weapons with them to use against the colonists. The Indians are favored by one, Mr. Berkeley, and hated by all the others in the colony. Since the colonists could not control the government, they blamed and punished the Indians, venting all their frustration and hatred towards them. Puglisi 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."(6). Even before Bacon’s Rebellion occurred, the colonists mistreated the Indians. Although Puglisi does not say so directly, he apparently assumes that the colonists are racist towards the Indians. The Colonists believed that the Indians were responsible for everything that went wrong. They were suspicious of the Indians and punished them as guilty with no evidence or proof to support their decision. They were using the Indians as a scapegoat to blame for any mistake or problem.


____Multiple factors were involved in the occurrence of Bacon’s Rebellion. To start off, the colony had a bad Governor that refused to protect them. Then Governor Berkeley traded weapons with Indians, continuing to let Indians attack colonists. The colonists felt unsafe, betrayed, and unheard from the government, which built up a lot of anger and frustration that was taken out on the Indians. Eventually Nathaniel Bacon stepped in as a leader to defend the colonists against Berkeley and the Indians. This resulted into Bacon’s Rebellion.










Works Cited





Bacon, Elizabeth. "Document #9." Elizabeth Bacon (Nathaniel Bacon's wife), letter to her sister in London, June 29. 1676

"Bacon's Rebellion." GlobalSecurity.org. Global Security. 20 Oct 2008 .

"Document #14." Royal Commissioners Narrative: Testiony given by Mrs. William Bird (in 1677), Bacon's neighbor

"Document #16." A True Narrative of the Late Rebellion in Virginia, by the Royal Commissioners, 1677,

Gordy, Wilbur F.. "Nathaniel Bacon and the Uprising of the People in Virginia in 1676." Colonial Ancestors. 1904. American Leaders and Heroes. 24 Oct 2008 .


Puglisi, Michael J.. "Whether They Be Friends or Foes:" The Roles and Reactions of Tributary Native Groups Caught in Colonial Conflicts. Volume 70, Numbers 3 & 4.

Zinn, Howard, and Rebecca Stefoff. A Young People's History of the United States. Volume one.