Bacon’s Rebellion Historical Essay Example

Mistreatment is a common practice in history, leading to high tensions between the lower class and authorities. Bacon’s Rebellion is an example of a group of landless freemen joining together to attempt to bring forth social and political justice. The Pueblo Revolt is an example of the Native Americans not tolerating suppression and revolting against the Spanish. While the Pueblo Revolt was more successful, both events are comparable in showing the effects of social and religious oppression. 

The growing population of Virginia’s colony added to the lack of land available. Wealthy plantation owners sought to live on large acres of land. Leaving no land for newly freedmen promised great fortune and land by the government. The men were forced to take jobs on wealthy plantations (Shi 69-70). The broken promises caused tensions to rise in the community between the lower class and higher authorities. In July 1676, the Doeg Native Americans raided a colonist's plantation. An investigation is ordered and the Susquehanaugas a friendly tribe is mistaken for the Doeg Native Americans, and the tribe is ransacked. This mistake began the Native American raids (Davenport). 

Nathaniel Bacon a careless man sent to live in the colony, sought out Governor Willliam Berkley ready to fight against the Native Americans. Berkley, determined to keep the peace between the colony and the Native Americans, refused to fight. The colony had a trading agreement with the Native Americans and Berkeley did not want to lose this agreement.  Bacon was furious with Berkeley, and Bacon’s rebellion was born. Bacon gathered over 1000 men ready to fight. These men were landless, newly freed servants, small farm owners, and even a small number of slaves. They were eager to join to take revenge for the government’s false promises. 

Bacon and his men killed hundreds of Native Americans, causing mass destruction. Governor Berkeley was furious with Bacon for disrupting the peace between the colony and the Native Americans. A furious Berkeley was met with Bacon’s issued  “Declaration of the People of Virginia” in an attempt to overthrow Berkeley by accusing him of corruption. Bacon’s declaration did nothing.  In frustration with his failed plan, Bacon’s men burned Jamestown to the ground. A month later Bacon died and his rebellion died with him (Shi 70).

In response to Bacon’s failed rebellion, more laws against slaves were enforced, one law stated any person of African descent was a hereditary slave (Blakemore). Plantation owners' incentive to buy slaves rather than white servants went up. They could own slaves and their children for life, paving the way for racial-based slavery.  Bacon’s poor choices paved the way for slavery to become the main source of labor (Shi 70). 

Only a few years later in 1680, another revolt was on the rise. The Spanish colonists living among the Pueblo Native Americans forced the Pueblos to convert to Christianity and dictated everything the Pueblos could do. This lead to conflicts between the church and state. The Native American’s labor and resources were being exploited by the Spanish soldiers seeking wealth and Spanish missionaries needing money to build churches. Raids were common in tribes, because of the lack of resources and food the raiders took Native Americans and shipped them into slavery (New Mexico Nomand). 

In 1680, a tribe leader named Po’pay organized a massive rebellion was organized,19 villages were organized to fight. The Native Americans burned Catholic Churches, killed priests, settlers and destroyed all relics of the Spanish. (Shi 45). As a result of their revolt, the Native Americans now had control of New Mexico. The Pueblo revolt was the greatest victory the Native Americans ever had (Shi 45). 

The Pueblo's religious and spiritual beliefs were being discarded because the Spanish believed their beliefs were superior.  The Spanish forcing their religious beliefs, and demanding total compliance lead to a bloody war. (Shi 45). If the Pueblo Revolt had not occurred the suppression of  Pueblos could have continued for much longer and the Pueblo’s culture could have been greatly different. The suppression of the Pueblos was a matter of war and freedom.

In Bacon’s Rebellion suppression of the lower class was the cause of murder and greater suppression of slaves. Bacon’s Rebellion was one of the causes for stricter laws to be put onto slaves, and for racial-based slavery to become exploited.  In the Pueblo Revolt, suppression of beliefs caused the Pueblo’s to fight for their lives. The Suppression of Pueblo’s was not a matter of unfairness, it was a matter of human rights. Having both very different outcomes, Bacon’s rebellion and the Pueblo Revolt are both prime examples of the harmful results of suppression of the lower class.