Bacon's Rebellion Essay

What exactly is the best way to get something you advocate for? Well, there are many different ways but it mostly depends on the situation. Throughout history people have either protested, bargained, or rebelled against certain authority in order for changes to take place. An important example of this is Bacon’s Rebellion. Nathaniel Bacon led the rebellion, hence the name Bacon’s Rebellion. It all started because Bacon and Virginia inhabitants wanted change and solutions to problems. Of course, the governor of Virginia a.k.a William Berkeley did not want to provide aid for these situations. This angered the settlers and resulted in the revolt. These problems included native american raids on the western frontier, raised taxes that affected

poor settlers, and favoritism towards the rich. Although some people believe violence isn’t the answer, in the end, this rebellion did result somewhat in success. Therefore it was a moral and just action. It should be justified considering the neglection by Berkeley, a change of rights, and unity.
For one thing, Berkeley was obviously not a responsible governor.

As said from part of Virginia Colonial National History Park, “Feeling that it would make his triumph complete, Bacon issued his "Declaration of the People" on July 30, 1676 which stated that Berkeley was corrupt, played favorites and protected the Indians for his own selfish purposes.” Settlers did agree that Berkeley was indeed corrupt but their judgement still would not matter because Berkeley knew he still had contol over them. All that mattered to Berkeley was himself and the wealthy. When he imposed taxes, poor settlers just couldn’t afford them but that didn’t affect Berkeley because he was still rich. He did not help the poor but instead made them suffer even more with the lowering tobacco prices. In Nathaniel Bacon — First American Rebel By Inez Nellie Canfield McFee it says, “To add to their troubles, the Indians began to attack the settlers along the frontier. Their fields were laid waste, their servants killed, and their stock driven off and slaughtered; but the Governor would not lift a hand to protect them, not wanting to lose his profitable fur trade.” So to add to Berkeley’s selfishness, he did not care about settler’s safety either because he knew it would affect his wealth based on the fur trade. This is why he did not retaliate against the Natives. This is not something a governor should do against his people. It is why it should be understandable why Bacon’s Rebellion was created, because

the governor’s stubborness did nothing to help them.
It’s also important to realize that if it hadn’t been for Bacon’s Rebellion, the right to vote and have a say in government wouldn’t have been such a strong ideal in Virginia. Bacon’s Rebellion showed a purpose of standing up to a corrupt leader and although was punishable by death, it did not stop the settlers. Jamestown was burned down as part of the rebellion and ended abruptly after Bacon’s death making it seem as it wasn’t worth it but after the big disturbance, King Charles II went in to check on Virginia. After gaining control back of Virginia, Berkeley then ends up being replaced by Herbert Jeffreys after 30 years of governing. Berkeley did end up dying during his trip back to England to talk with the King. An account from T.M., an assembly member and planter from Northuberland says, “The govern'r went in the ffleet to London (whether by comand from his majesty or spontaneous I did not hear) leaving Col. Jefferyes in his place, and by next shipping came back a person who waited on his hono'r in his voyage, and untill his death, from whom a report was whisper'd about, that the king did say "that old fool has hang'd more men in that naked country, than he had done for the murther of his ffather, whereof the governo'r hearing dyed soon after without having seen his majesty; which shuts up this tragedy.” The rebellion resulted in an end to Berkeley’s control of Virginia and a defeat to Indians which is what the settlers wanted. Sadly, those who participated in the Rebellion were hung for treason and would not know how their actions shaped Virginia and history for the better.
Not only did this event establish an important ideology that the government is based on today but it also unified diverse groups for the first time.

An article states “Bacon's Rebellion demonstrated that poor whites and poor blacks could be united in a cause. This was a great fear of the ruling class -- what would prevent the poor from uniting to fight them? This fear hastened the transition to racial slavery.” The Rebellion was composed of poor farmers, slaves, and indentured servants. This made the wealth uneasy because it went against the hierchy they followed. This hierachy was created in order for a group to feel more superior than the other and stop from people working together in order to rebel but it failed against the Virginia settlers who wanted to overthow Berkeley. This shows Bacon’s Rebellion as a fair movement because it helped connect whites and blacks at a time where slavery was popular in order to defeat a group of people with wrong greedy

morals.
In spite of the good coming out of Bacon’s Rebellion, people still believe it wasn’t right because it harmed others and it was just too violent. Although that is up for debate, there really was no other choice for the Virginians. The problem wasn’t the way it was carried out but why it started. The rebellion was fair, it’s just that the governor was not. If Berkeley was responsible and considerate about his actions the people would not have a need to rebel. He shouldn’t have raised taxes on the poor or be lenient with the Natives. He should have benifitted everybody and not just the rich. It just comes to show that in order for a community to flourish, authority has to play its role on chosing what’s best for the people. And with all things considered by Bacon’s rebellion, the unification, neglection from authority, and the rights abused/gained, therefore makes the event just and moral.