This volume is a collection of the documents of the official commission sent to Virginia to inquire into the causes of the rebellion. Although it breaks little new ground, it is a convenient, one-volume edition of the papers collated by Samuel Wiseman, who served as secretary to the commissioners. After an introduction in which he lays out a brief history of the background of the rebellion and its historiography, Michael Leroy Oberg has helpfully divided the volume into several parts that together provide the most complete account (albeit from the imperial viewpoint) of the rebellion and its aftermath. The section entitled "The Commissioners and Sir William Berkeley" is the most interesting, as it details the deteriorating relationship between
the commissioners and the aged and irascible Berkeley—the latter intent on revenge against Bacon's co-conspirators. The story has been detailed in Wilcomb Washburn's account. The Governor and the Rebel: The Story of Bacon's Rebellion (Chapel Hill, 1957), which is decidedly sympathetic to the aged governor, but a perusal of the documents themselves offers a more balanced picture. The central document is the letter to Henry Coventry, the secretary of state, from the commissioners in which they castigate Berkeley for seizing property and detaining rebels without sanction, thereby obstructing the commissioners' efforts to establish the peace. As they wrote, had it not been for Berkeley's "studdyed Evasions .. . wee should have fully received and examined all the Grievances, satisfied the People, Concluded the Indian Peace, and in sum fulfilled our whole Instructions and beene ready (upon Orders) to retume home"
Breen, T. H., and Stephen Innes. Myne Owne Ground: Race and Freedom on Virginia 's Eastern Shore, 1640-1676. 25th anniversary ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005. 142 pages (kindle edition).
In “Bacon's Declaration in the Name of the People” and “The declaration and Remonstrance of Sir William Berkeley his most sacred Majesties Governor and Captain General of Virginia”, they were pretending to be for the people and the king. They put on a facade to cover up their true intentions. Both Nathaniel Bacon and William Berkeley were insistent on discrediting the other by suggesting disloyalty. There was no way to end their debacle calmly.
With American Indians randomly attacking the colonies, grave economic problems, corruption in the government, a desire for a representative government, and no help from Great Britain, the American colonies were on the brink of rebellion. All that was left to ignite the rebellion was a leader and a spark. Both of these came in the years to follow 1675.
Fichtelberg, J. (2004). The Colonial Stage: Risk and Promise in John Smith's Virginia. Early American Literature, 39(1), 11.
In 1676, the colony of Virginia experienced the first of many American civil wars, called Bacon’s Rebellion. The rebellion was between the Virginian Governor, Sir William Berkley and local plantation owner Nathaniel Bacon. The rebellion was caused by many different reasons, beginning with social unrest in the colony. “There was no one single cause of Bacon 's Rebellion. Rather, the simmering discontent of the [Virginia] people reached full boil with the Indian raids and the governor 's apparent unwillingness to take decisive action against them.” First, due to a change in England’s trade policies, the prices for Virginia’s main crop, tobacco, were being lowered, resulting in economic instability. Secondly, the colonists were agitated because
Document G reveals the discontent of the people in the ineffectiveness of their national government under the Articles of Confederation. John Jay (Secretary of Foreign Affairs and great international negotiator), expresses this discontent of the people through a letter of concern to George Washington. He foreshadowed some sort of revolt, crisis, or revolution and expressed his feeling of uneasiness and the need for change. Shay’s rebellion turned out to be a milestone because it set a need for a new national government, the revolt was against the government of Massachusetts.
When communication breaks down, dissent has no way to grow. Throughout the latter half of the seventeenth century the Chesapeake elite, when forced to, found ways to effectively silence rebellions by cutting the cords of communication amongst the lower classes. The wealthy planters simply undervalued the cooperation between the “dangerous rabble” that was slaves, servants, and poor freeman. Transitioning a labor system works best when people are left without knowledge or ways to communicate. Had the unifying forces between the servant, slaves, and poor freeman been severed earlier, Bacon’s Rebellion may never have occurred. This cooperation left a region polarized for nearly half a century, but it also set a proper example for a much more famous uprising nearly a century later.
In this article it talks about how a New York judge is debating on letting Herman Bell go. In 1971, Bell had lured two officers Joe Piagentini and Waverly Jones into a building in Harlem where they assassinated both of them. Herman Bell was then arrested and sentenced to 25 years to life, but after 45 years of being in prison, and being denied parole seven times that know he is being granted parole. Obviously as this is all taking place the state parole board had approved last month to release Herman Bell. Though the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association filed a lawsuit because of his wife wants to keep Herman Bell in jail for what he did to her husband and the other officer.
Scott Angelle, Former Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana and gubernatorial candidate, gave a powerful speech at the Rally for Economic Survival Event hosted at the Cajun Dome in 2010. His target audience was everyone affected by the oil and gas industry, from the taxi driver to the soccer mom. His message was that he will transform Louisiana back into the energy powerhouse it once was through policies that support the energy industry, which will in turn allow the economy to prosper on both the state and national level. In contrast to the policies instated by the Federal Government, such as the drilling moratorium, which inhibits the growth of the industry.
The unrest did not stop there, as the war ended it had became evident that the young nation would be going through major changes for years to come. On the economic standing, the young nation did not have a tax system, a monetary system, or any source of attaining money. Prior to the war, the colonies each had a separate monetary system. When the war was over, it became clear that the colonies would need to have one equal economic system for the entire nation. This lead had led to many uprisings, and civil unrest within the colonies. An example of this type of unrest would be Shays Rebellion. In her letter to Thomas Jefferson, Abigail expressed her concern about the un...
Thompkins H. Matteson was known for painting scenes with historical and religious themes. Depicting an event during Salem witch trials, this painting was exhibited by the artist in New York in 1848. "Mary Fisher, a young girl, was seized upon by Deputy Governor Bellingham in the absence of Governor Endicott, and shamefully stripped for the purpose of ascertaining whether she was a witch, with the Devil's mark upon her.” quoted from John Greenleaf Whittier's book Supernaturalism of New England in 1874. Witch hunts similar to Mary Fisher’s were far to common and the tragedy of Salem extended beyond the people who were executed. Paranoia and hysteria of colonists during this period claimed the innocent lives of
In early American history there are 3 important rebellions to analyze. These revolts can give a crucial look into the brains of the population and what made the people finally say enough is enough.
David Hahn also called the "Radioactive Boy Scout" or the "Nuclear Boy Scout", is an American who attempted to build a homemade breeder nuclear reactor in 1994, at the age 17. As a scout in the Boy Scouts of America, Hahn conducted his experiments in secret in a backyard shed at his mother's house in Clinton Township, Michigan. While his reactor never reached a dangerous state, the police became concerned when they stopped him for another reason and they found material in his vehicle that was dangerous. Ten months later, his mother's property was cleaned up by the Environmental Protection Agency at a Superfund cleanup site. Hahn attained Eagle Scout rank shortly after his lab was dismantled.
After deciding to secede from Great Britain, members of Virginia’s fifth Revolutionary Convention voted unanimously to pass a resolution to prepare for a new constitution and government for Virginia, as well as a statement of rights. This convention took place at a time when British attempts to tax and strictly regulate the thirteen colonies generated resistance a growing desire for political independence. The delegates at the congress wanted to regain the civil liberties that they had lost under British rule, so a committee chaired by George Mason was enlisted to create a document that would guarantee to citizens of Virginia enumerated civil liberties. Since the document promotes civil liberties and restrictions on the power of governments,