Paul Karmiryan
Ch S 245 OL- 14004
Bacon’s Rebellion
 Nathaniel Bacon began Bacon’s
Rebellion in 1676 over how to deal
with the Indians who were close by
the western frontier.
 Whites attempted to expand
westward, but faced the dilemma
of fighting Indians
 Governor William Berkeley had a
more peaceful approach
 Violence broke on the frontier
with the Indians
Bacon’s “Declaration of the People”
 Described the resentment
towards the rich
 Demanded for more protection
against Indians on the Western
frontier.
 Bacon dies of illness, and the
rebellion ceases to continue
 New leader, Thomas Grantham
attempts to restore order by
promising to pardon everyone
and disarm rebel forces as the
captain of the ship
Against the Governor
 Berkeley argued: “... we cannot but
resent, that forty thousand people
should be impoverish'd to enrich
little more than forty Merchants…”
 Many Virginians supported the
rebellion against the governor
 Other members of Government
Counsel (I.e. Richard Lee) also
supported the rebellion
 Servants of the “miserably poor
white underclass” also joined
Bacon’s rebellion
Servants and Immigrants
 Poor people coming to
America was seen as a
commodity of a profit for
merchants
 The biggest profit to be made
was by shipping slaves,
according to Abbot Smith
 Immigrants must agree to
work for their “master” for 5-7
years upon emigration
 Trip to America lasted 8-12
weeks under inhuman
conditions on ships.
Life as a Servant
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Beatings were common
Women servants were often raped
4 out of 5 servants died of disease
Laws existed, but were not
enforced
 Rebellion was attempted, but was
impractical because of their lack
of power
 Servants could not marry without
permission
 Often not allowed because child
bearing would interrupt a women
servants ability to serve as a
servant
A Servant’s Way Out?
 Many servants ran away: it was easier than rebellion
 Some ran away with boat, but they were often captured and
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beaten
A number of servants went on strike demanding decent
food, but were whipped and the striking stopped
US Constitutions held that fugitive servants could not
simply hop through states for freedom
Maryland’s population consisted of 10% white servants
Rare case of free servants became wealthy landowners
 Abbot Smith argues that they were not given equal
opportunity even after they were freed. He states that, “about
one in ten was a sound and solid individual”
 The other 80% were “shifted, hopeless individuals”
The Colonies Grow
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Many English settlers and European immigrants
Black slaves were pouring in
Shipping and trading expanded overseas
Upper class gains the most political power and wealth
from the expansion
 Percentage of poor white
males doubled from 14% to
29%
 The poor struggled to stay
 alive
 Unemployment was at a high
Severe Food Shortage
 High prices of food in 1713 led
many poor on the streets hungry
 200 people riot on the Boston
Common
 Attacked trade ships and
warehouses looking for food
 Wealthy merchants like Andrew
Belcher had their ships attacked
 Many criticized the rich of having
oppressed and cheated the poor
England in War
 During the 1730’s, England was
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fighting a series of wars under Queen
Anne’s and King George’s rule
This allowed for merchants to get
rich
Taxes, unemployment and poverty
were at a high
Seamen rioted in 1747
Indians servants were an obstacle
while Black slaves were submissive
and easy to control
 Dangers of slave revolts were high
The Threat
 Many feared that the slaves,
Indian servants, and poor would
unite and revolt
 Some doubted this threat as
communication was difficult
 In the North, Blacks and Indians
could not meet in large numbers
 This fear caused consideration of
war against Indians
 This gave rise to a new policy,
which later turned into a war
The New Policy
 Laws were passed prohibiting
Black slaves in Indian territory
because of the fear of revolution
 This fear was caused by the unity
Bacon’s Rebellion instilled upon
the people
 Treaties were made with Indian
tribes
 Indian fugitive servants were freed
in exchange
 Still, the government feared
revolution from the Black slaves
 Blacks were used in the Cherokee
War in order to control for this
The Middle Class Fights Back
 The middle class fought against the
corruption of the wealthy
 The New Yorker Cadwallader Golden
article attacked wealthy tax dodgers
 A rich man named James Otis
attacks the middle class by stating it
is the rich who owns Boston
 In the Pennsylvania Journal it was
stated in 1756 that, “It was ... a
middle-class society governed for the
most part by its upper classes."
References
 Zinn, Howard. A People's History of the United States.
2005. Print.