Breaking News: Bacon's Rebellion
Jamestown 1676
Details behind the First Rebellion of the Colonies!
Breaking news has occurred as the first rebellion in the colonies has taken place! Nathaniel Bacon recently led groups of both black and white to rebel against Governor William Berkeley. Berkeley early on had established a negotiating and peace settlement with surrounding Indian tribes over the event of land. New occurring economic problems of tobacco prices declining, rising commercial competitions between Maryland and the Carolinas, Navigation Acts, the Mercantile system, taxes, and barriers enforced on Dutch trade resulted in a wide division of wealth. The overflowing of farmland onto Indian territory left the poor blacks and poor whites with no available land. Some of these poor groups desired protection for their farms from the Indians, but Berkeley would not agree and offer them protection. This refusal caused a clash of lands and the Indians began attacking the yeomen farmers. Due to the fact that no law or protection was granted to the farmers, they began to fight back against the Indians and the government to start the first rebellion of the American colonies.
Quick Summary - 5 Minute History - Bacon's Rebellion
The Burning attack of Jamestown
Just after the fall out of the cause for the rebellion, Nathaniel Bacon created a small army of escaped slaves, poor landless whites, and indentured servants. This small army began to march south, against Governor Berkeley's orders, to attack the Indian tribes. On the return from the attack, Bacon knew that Governor Berkeley was enclosed in a meeting that was being held a the House of Burgesses. Once they returned to the House of Burgesses, Bacon and his army demanded a commission from Berkeley in order to build a volunteer army to attack the natives. Berkeley denied this request and Bacon ordered his men to aim their guns at the Governor. Berkeley then agreed and Bacon started preparing for war against the Indians while also promoting a campaign. During the time that Bacon was promoting his campaign, Berkeley assembled troops to fight against Bacon. When Bacon returned to Jamestown, they successfully defeated the Governor's troops and began burning many Jamestown buildings to the ground.
The Burning Outcome
A new political reform has been established after the rebellion of Nathaniel Bacon. The upper class, including Governor Berkeley, are frightened and scared. They realize that power is held by the lower class and indentured servants. Bacon has issued a "Deceleration of the People" which is helping him take over the Governor position and eliminate the unpopular power, William Berkeley. The amount Plantations have grown along with an increasing number of slaves on plantations as a result of this new political reform. This rebellion has shocked the Virginia colony, along with the Native tribes. But the question now is, what will our Jamestown future hold?