Hypothesis- How were the people directly involved with Bacon's Rebellion being mistreated by the government?

I. The government mistreated the Indians and the colonists and benefited from both of them.

--A. They benefited from trade with the Indians.
-----1. They made a law that no one was allowed to trade with any Indians, but the governor made special licenses for some people to trade with the Indians as long as he gets a part of the profit.
-------a. "And the whole colony, rich and poor, was being used by England" (p.39 Zinn)

--B. They were protecting the Indians from the colonists.
-----1. The government sent back an Army of English when they went to fight the Indians.
-----2. The government warned the Indians Bacon was coming for them.
-----3. They built forts in the woods to "protect" colonists, but knew there was really no security (then taxed the people).
-------a. "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. (paragraph 14 http://wikipedia.ws/wikipedia/ba/Bacon%27s_Rebellion.html)

--C. The government ignored the colonists complaints about the Indians behavior.
-----1. The colonists complained about the Indians killing people, but governor didn't even take notice
-----2. The governor didn't believe the colonist's accusations.
-----3. Berkeley publicly named Bacon a traitor.
-----4. The governor refused to sign a promised commission.
-------a. A letter from Elizabeth Bacon to her sister "[T]he Indians killing the people daily, the governor not taking notice of it for to hinder them, but let them daily do all the mischief they can" (document #9).


II. The colonists were very mistreated by the English government during Bacon's rebellion.

--A. The colonists had to deal with very little or lack of freedom.
-----1. Indentured servants were bought and sold like slaves.
-----2. Poor people signed an agreement to be slaves for 5-7 years.
-------a. "Grantham found four hundred armed whites and blacks- freeman, servants, and slaves. He promised to pardon them and to free the servants and slaves. Instead, he turned his boat's guns on the rebels and took their weapons. The he returned the servants and slaves to their masters" (p.38 Zinn)

--B. The government had really high taxes put onto the colonists.
-----1.There was a huge gap between the rich and poor.
-----2.Unfair taxes (way to high), unemployment and poverty.
-----3.Colonists grew tobacco and the king made a huge profit.
-----4.The rich built mansions, while the poor struggled to survive.
-------a. "Bacon accused the Berkeley government of wrongdoing, including unfair taxes and not protecting the western farmers from the Indians" (p.39 Zinn)

--C. Laws made by the government effected the colonists in a negative way.
-----1. The government was protecting the Indians.
-----2. The government made restrictions to vote and lack of protection.
-----3. Changes in land laws caused farmers to homelessness.
-----4. New laws passed to punish poor, imprison them and send them to America.
-------a. "The revolt changed little within the colony; gentlemen continued to monopolize the best land, the highest offices, and the most slaves. The Indians suffered the most. Those within the colony lost population and land" (paragraph 4 http://www.answers.com/topic/bacon-s-rebellion)

III. The Indians were the ones who suffered the worst from the English government.

--A.They had to deal with the English intruding onto their land.
-----1.The Indians were forced to live on predestined English land.
-----2.They had their land taken away by white frontiersmen.
-------a. "By the late seventeenth century, many Indian groups in the British colonies had fallen into a subordinate, 'tributary status', living on assigned lands at the will and direction of the provincial governments" (p.76 Puglisi)

--B. The government took everything away from the Indians including their freedom.
-----1. The Indians were alienated and distrusted.
-----2. They thought the government was on their side, really they were only using them to take advantage of the trade.
-----3. New Virgina laws made slavery lifelong and inherited by one's children.
-------a. "The colonial governments agreed among themselves that servants who escaped from one colony to another must be returned" (p.42 Zinn).

--C. The worst of the horrible mistreatment towards the Indians was violence.
-----1.The Indians were forced to be slaves and servants.
-----2. The Indians who had peace treaties were even killed, as well as the Indians were who Christianized
-----3. Government used Indians as their spies.
-------a."Beatings and whippings were common, Servant women were raped" (p42 Zinn)

IV. Berkeley VS. Bacon
--A.Who really made Bacon's rebellion worse?

-----1. Bacon helped the colonists.
-------a.Bacon was only in the colony for three years and was made one of the council members.
-------b.Bacon had great respect from the colonists.
-------c.Bacon killed some of the Indians who were friends to Berkeley's people.
-------d.Bacon charges Berkeley as negligent, wicked and incapable, laws and taxes unjust
-------e.Bacon was arrested for disobeying the government and leading an illegal war against the Indians (soon released)
------------i. "Before he had been three years in the colony, he was, for his extraordinary Qualifications, made one of the council. And in great honor and esteem among the people" (document 11)
------------j. "Mr. Bacon nor any with him had injured any English man in their persons or estates, and that the country was generally well pleased with what they had done, and she believed most of the council also" (document 14)

-----2. Berkeley failed to defend and protect his people.
-------a.Berkeley did not do his part to protect the colonists from native attacks.
-------b.Berkeley fled from bacon and his followers, twice.
-------d.Bacon and Berkeley fought over loyal servants and small landowners.
-------e.Berkeley hung two dozen men and took their estates who were Bacon's followers.
------------i. "Berkeley's arbitrary rule and unjust taxation, his neglect of an an adequate Indian defense; etc. these we humbly confess, were the greatest seducements that provoked most of us at first to take up arms but only against the... barbarous enemies the Indians" (document 35)