Essay On Bacon's Rebellion

In 1673, Nathaniel Bacon, a distant relative of Governor Berkeley, emigrated from England under murky circumstances and set up a small plantation on the James River. He rose rapidly in public esteem and was appointed to the governor’s council. In the mid-1670's, Bacon's Rebellion was caused by low tobacco prices, rising taxes from English manufactured goods, roaming livestock, and crowds of free servants greedily eyeing indigenous lands. The revolt grew out of hatred for the colonial governor, William Berkeley. Bacon. The large planters that dominated the assembly levied high taxes to finance Berkeley's regime. Newly freed servants were forced to migrate westward in quest for farms. Their lust for land led them to displace the Indians. Berkeley

failed to support the farmers in their conflict with the Indians and the farmers rebelled. After failing to extract a promise of action against the Indian tribes, the discontent turned to violence when a squabble between a white planter and indigenous people on the Potomac River led to murder of the planter's herdsman and retaliation by frontier militiamen. Violence spread and militiamen of Virginia and Maryland murdered five indigenous chieftains who sought to negotiate.

Indians were enraged and took their revenge on frontier settlements. Attacks continued southward down to James River. After revenge was accomplished, Governor Berkeley proposed that the assembly erect a series of forts along the frontier but it wouldn't open new lands of settlements and would be expensive. In 1676, Bacon defied Berkeley's authority by recruiting a small armed force. The rebellion he led was largely of servants, small farmers, and slaves against Virginia's wealthiest planters and political leaders. Bacon despised indigenous people and resolved to kill them all but Berkeley opposed of Bacon's plan because he liked the Indians and wanted to protect his Indian deerskin trade. Bacon ordered the governor arrested but his men burned Jamestown. He fell ill and died a month later. Berkeley quickly regained control. The results of Bacon's rebellion were new lands that were opened to colonists and wealthy planters became more cooperative with small farmers but convinced large planters that they'd be better served by bringing enslaved Africans to work their

fields.
After 1780, when the Massachusetts legislature adjourned in 1786 without providing paper money or any relief from taxes and debts, western agricultural counties revolted.

In 1786-1787, Daniel Shays, a former captain in the Continental Army led the Shays's Rebellion caused by bad harvests, economic depression, and high taxes that threatened farmers in Massachusetts. Farms were being foreclosed and farmers were imprisoned as debtors. Shays and his men attacked courts in western Massachusetts. Shays and his followers sought a more flexible monetary policy, laws that allow them to use corn and wheat as money, and the right to postpone paying taxes until the postwar agricultural depression lifted. The state government was unable to control Shays and his followers and requested help from the government under the Articles of Confederation. The Articles of Confederation were viewed as a weak government to maintain law and order. The state government responded by sending 4,400 militiamen armed with cannon in order to defeat the rebellion. Soldiers scattered the debtor army with a single volley that left four farmers dead. The new state legislature decided to relieve the agricultural crisis by eliminating taxes on farmers. Shays' Rebellion showed that the government under Articles of Confederation isn't strong enough and led to the development of a strong central government under the Constitution. This rebellion gave conservatism and nationalism across the new United States. Shays'

Rebellion came to symbolize the widespread discontent manifested throughout New England during economic depression.
Both rebellions were sparked by economic and political grievances against authority that was perceived as distant and arbitrary. These uprisings had transformational roles: Bacon's rebellion helped weaken the indentured servant system and Shays's rebellion undermined the support for the Articles of Confederation. These rebellions were different by their causes and significance. Bacon's rebellion was caused by Virginia frontiersmen seeking land clashed with Indians, these frontiersmen demanded help from the government, and Jamestown refused aid in fear of Indian War. Bacon's significance of the rebellion was a colonial rebellion against government authority, clashes between east/west, and poor/rich, Tidewater's discrimination against frontiersmen, and a revision of indentured servant system. Shays's rebellion was caused by unfair taxes in Massachusetts, farmers imprisoned as debtors, and farms foreclosed. Shays's significance of his rebellion was an uprising threat to property, a threat that the rebellion could spread to other states, Articles of Confederation was a weak government to maintain law and order, and a bolstered call for a revision of Articles.