Bacon’s Rebellion
In 1673 a man by the name of Nathaniel Bacon came from England to the Virginia colony. He was a well-heeled planter, Aristocrat, and the cousin of William Berkeley, who was the governor of the Virginia Colony at the time (Give Me Liberty an American History 103). William Berkeley had been the governor for over thirty years, and during those years the people had grieved. He was a very corrupt governor who was easily bought. He formed alliances and appointed his friends to government positions so that he was able to do whatever he wanted (102). The people had had enough, and Bacon took advantage of this. Bacon just wanted power, and for he himself to be governor. He didn’t actually care about the lower class, but he saw this …show more content…
At this time the colonies became infatuated with producing tobacco, and Virginia was no exception (62-63). The lower class of English people was not engrossed in going to America at first. The journey was problematic, and if you didn’t die on the way there it was still highly likely you would die within the first two years. However, in order to charm settlers, the English established The Headright System and the House of Burgesses. These were both tremendously important to the people. The Headright System was a legal land grant. It stimulated private migration by promising one hundred acres of land to anyone who comes over, plus another hundred for every family member including servants (104). It also attracted indentured servants. These were people who willingly enslaved themselves for five to seven years, and when their time was up they would receive their freedom dues. Freedom dues were a promise of fifty acres of land, a handful of money, a couple of tools, and some clothes. The indentured servants would then turn around and begin their own tobacco farm (102). Of course, with so many people coming over and with the mortality …show more content…
Bacon soon saw an opportunity to take advantage of the situation. After being denied access to the House of Burgesses and the fur trade, he begins to formulate a plan. In his mind, he is entitled to everything because he is of noble blood, but in Berkeley’s mind Bacon needed to earn it. Bacon begins complaining about the way things are run, particularly about the ‘savages.’ He forms his own voluntary militia, at no cost to the people of Virginia, to go and hunt the Indians. Berkeley becomes enraged and sees this as a form of treason. It quickly becomes a game of chess. Bacon assembles the people and alleges the governor was not protecting the loyal subjects from the Indians, corrupting the government for his own advantage, and betraying the king. He promises the loyal subjects admission to land, including the Indian Territory (103). The governor is quick with a response, he twists all of Bacon’s words. He says Bacon is lying and that everything that he has done as governor was in order to protect the
In 1673 a man by the name of Nathaniel Bacon came from England to the Virginia colony. He was a well-heeled planter, Aristocrat, and the cousin of William Berkeley, who was the governor of the Virginia Colony at the time (Give Me Liberty an American History 103). William Berkeley had been the governor for over thirty years, and during those years the people had grieved. He was a very corrupt governor who was easily bought. He formed alliances and appointed his friends to government positions so that he was able to do whatever he wanted (102). The people had had enough, and Bacon took advantage of this. Bacon just wanted power, and for he himself to be governor. He didn’t actually care about the lower class, but he saw this …show more content…
At this time the colonies became infatuated with producing tobacco, and Virginia was no exception (62-63). The lower class of English people was not engrossed in going to America at first. The journey was problematic, and if you didn’t die on the way there it was still highly likely you would die within the first two years. However, in order to charm settlers, the English established The Headright System and the House of Burgesses. These were both tremendously important to the people. The Headright System was a legal land grant. It stimulated private migration by promising one hundred acres of land to anyone who comes over, plus another hundred for every family member including servants (104). It also attracted indentured servants. These were people who willingly enslaved themselves for five to seven years, and when their time was up they would receive their freedom dues. Freedom dues were a promise of fifty acres of land, a handful of money, a couple of tools, and some clothes. The indentured servants would then turn around and begin their own tobacco farm (102). Of course, with so many people coming over and with the mortality …show more content…
Bacon soon saw an opportunity to take advantage of the situation. After being denied access to the House of Burgesses and the fur trade, he begins to formulate a plan. In his mind, he is entitled to everything because he is of noble blood, but in Berkeley’s mind Bacon needed to earn it. Bacon begins complaining about the way things are run, particularly about the ‘savages.’ He forms his own voluntary militia, at no cost to the people of Virginia, to go and hunt the Indians. Berkeley becomes enraged and sees this as a form of treason. It quickly becomes a game of chess. Bacon assembles the people and alleges the governor was not protecting the loyal subjects from the Indians, corrupting the government for his own advantage, and betraying the king. He promises the loyal subjects admission to land, including the Indian Territory (103). The governor is quick with a response, he twists all of Bacon’s words. He says Bacon is lying and that everything that he has done as governor was in order to protect the