Guide to Lecture 6 (Bacon’s Rebellion)
Social Unrest in Virginia
1676—civil war in Virginia, “haves” vs. “have-nots”
Watershed event in colonial history—leads directly to African slavery
How did it happen?
Decline in mortality rates from about 1650
1644—Va. 8,000
1662—25,600
1648—only 1 in 9 died in 1st year
What changed?
Food supply
Orchards
Livestock
Transport to colony
More becoming freedmen
1660—best land—plantations
Available land—frontier
Discontent, frustration
Demographic composition:
Young bachelors, most
Criminal elements
Armed population
The Grievances
Governor William Berkeley authoritarian, elite, intolerant of criticism
1670—Burgesses imposed a property requirement to vote
Favoritism & corruption in govt.—land grants & appointments to cronies
Falling tobacco prices—overproduction
Navigation Act of 1660
Anglo-Dutch Wars destroy plantations
Immediate Cause
July 1675—quarrel with Doeg Indians—deaths, reprisals
Va. militia—mistakenly killed 14 Susquehannahs
March, 1676—Berkeley policy—chain of forts—raise taxes
Settlers want an army
Berkeley feared general war
Nathaniel Bacon
Nathaniel Bacon enters scene
Son of English gentleman, educated at Cambridge, Grand Tour of Europe
Scandal—departed England w/ money and status
Berkeley appointed him to Governor’s Council
House of Burgesses
April 1676—protest meeting, sympathized with western settlers
Speech—elected as leader ag. Indians
Bacon requested military commission
Berkeley: act of defiance—“rabble rouser” (freedmen)
Two-front war—Bacon and 1,300 turned west ag. friendly tribes
Sept. 19, 1676—battle outside Jamestown
Berkeley defeated, retreated to eastern shore
Bacon now de facto governor
Oct. 26, 1676—Bacon dies of dysentery
Rebellion starts to fall apart
Jan. 1677--defeated by Berkeley
Several thousand redcoats en route to America
Significance of Rebellion
Foreshadowing of the Revolution?
Bacon’s Laws
Removed property requirement to vote
Made county sheriffs elective
Required taxes to be paid by Governor’s Council
Tied to full emergence of African slavery and permanent bondage
White unity forged across class lines—white supremacy
Summary
Bacon’s Rebellion in 1676 had its roots in:
1.
Decline in mortality rate, resulting in more indentured servants
achieving freedom.
2.
Expectations of freedmen somewhat frustrated by the lack of good
available land and a lower price of tobacco.
3.
Good land along the frontier at risk from Indian attack.
4.
Complaints about Gov. Berkeley’s favoritism of elite.
5.
Actual Indian attacks on western frontier of Va.
Significance:
1.
Foreshadows the Revolution—Bacon’s Laws democratic
2.
Most importantly, emergence of African slavery in Va.
3.
Emerging unity of whites in concept of white supremacy.