more edits, new citations

-----Bacon's Rebellion was a war brought onto innocent Natives, led by a man named Nathaniel Bacon who was very angry with the way the colony was being run. The government played a very large role in why this rebellion happened. The government was tricking and using not only all the Indians, but as well as their own colonists. When it comes to the topic of Bacon's Rebellion, most of us will readily agree that the people in charge of Virginia during the seventeenth century were the cause of the rebellion. Where this agreement usually comes to a end, however, is on the question of, Did Bacon even care about why he was killing Indians, or if that particular Indian had ever done anything wrong, or did he just want to kill all Indians. Whereas some are convinced that Bacon was a good person and the government was terrible, others still maintain that Bacon was only after gold, land and killing Indians. I see it as, the government was power hungry and just wanted to use, abuse and control everyone around them.
-----During Bacon’s rebellion in 1676 the government mistreated the Indians and the colonists and benefited from both of them. The government benefited greatly from trade with the Indians. They made a law by an Act of State that no one was allowed to do any kind of trading goods with any of the Indians. But secretly, the governor made special licenses for only a selective few to be allowed to trade with the Indians as long as he gets a part of the profit. Howard Zinn states in A Young People’s History of the United States, "And the whole colony, rich and poor, was being used by England" (p39). According to the Virginia settlers their government was protecting the Indians from the colonists, instead of defending the colonists. Bacon and his followers went to attack the Indians without a permit, when the government found out they were not happy. That caused them to react in a matter by trying to protect the Indians and warned them that Bacon was coming to attack. The government acted as if they were protecting the Indians one second, then the colonists the next. They built forts in the woods and told the colonists it was for their protection. The colonists knew better though, there was really no security for them. To add to their problems, the government then taxed all the people in the colony for the forts that gave them no fortification or security. “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" (Pike). The people in command ignored the colonist’s complaints about the Indians poor behavior, the Indians were killing and robbing people, and the governor still didn't take any notice. The governor didn't believe the colonist's accusations. Berkeley publicly named Bacon a traitor, and refused to sign a promised commission. 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).
-----The colonists were very mistreated by the English government during Bacon's rebellion. They had to deal with very little or lack of freedom. Indentured servants were bought and sold like slaves. Poor people signed an agreement to be slaves for five to seven years."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. Then he returned the servants and slaves to their masters" (p38 Zinn). The government had really high taxes put onto the colonists. There was a huge gap between the rich and poor. The rich built mansions, while the poor struggled to survive. They had unfair taxes that were way too high, and were dealing with unemployment and poverty. Colonists grew tobacco, while the king was making a huge profit. "Bacon accused the Berkeley government of wrongdoing, including unfair taxes and not protecting the western farmers from the Indians" (p39 Zinn). Laws made by the government affected the colonists in a negative way. The government was protecting the Indians. They made restrictions for the colonists dealing with their rights to vote. Changes in land laws caused farmers to homelessness. New laws passed to punish poor, imprison them and send them to America.
"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 US Military History).
-----The Indians were the ones who suffered the worst from the English government. They had to deal with the English intruding onto their land, and were forced to live on predestined English land. "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" (p76 Puglisi). The government took everything away from the Indians including their freedom. The Indians were alienated and distrusted. They thought the government was on their side; really they were only using them to take advantage of the trade. New Virginia laws made slavery lifelong and inherited by one's children. "The colonial governments agreed among themselves that servants who escaped from one colony to another must be returned" (p42 Zinn).The worst of the horrible mistreatment towards the Indians was violence. A true narrative of the late rebellion in Virginia, said that the Indians were forced to be slaves and servants. The Government was also using few chosen Indians as their spies. Many Indians were lived in terror, of loosing their family or their own lives. The Indians who had peace treaties were even killed, as well as the Indians were who Christianized. "Beatings and whippings were common, Servant women were raped" (p42 Zinn).
-----During the whole rebellion, up until the day Bacon died, he and Governor Berkeley had never ending war between themselves. Some people believe Berkeley was the bad guy, others believe just the opposite. Bacon helped the colonists stand up for themselves during the seventeenth century; he was only in the colony for three years and was made one of the council members. Bacon had great respect from most if not all the colonists. But unfortunately, he did kill some of the Indians who were friends to Berkeley and his people.Berkeley had Bacon arrested for disobeying the government and leading an illegal war against the Indians. "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). "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). Berkeley failed to defend and protect his people. He did not do his part to protect the colonists from native attacks, fled from bacon and his followers during the war. Bacon and Berkeley fought over loyal servants and small landowners. Berkeley hung two dozen men and took their estates who were Bacon's followers. "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).
-----By focusing on Bacon and his followers attacks on Indians without a permit it over looks the deeper problem that the leaders during that time were not doing the things they were suppose to. Though I see other ways that Bacon could have reacted, he couldn't stand by and not stick up for himself and the other colonists. The government cared more about land, money, and power then the lives of the people they ruled. They took advantage of their fellow followers as well as Indians they had no rights to control over. The government not taking care of the issues the colonists were dealing with caused the colonists to rebel. When they rebelled they took out their frustrations on the Indians. That caused a lot of agony and suffering to the Indians who had nothing to do with the English problems. They caused all these unnecessary perplexities and disputes only so they could better themselves.



Citations:

---Pike, John. "Bacon's Rebellion." 04-27-2005 paragraph 14. 14 Oct 2008 .

---US Military History Companion, "Bacon's Rebellion." paragraph 4. 21 Oct 2008 .

---Zinn, Howard. "Columbus to the Spanish-American War." A Young People's History of the United States 1