Bacon's Rebellion Essay 1

-----As the November election is approaching, more and more people have been looking at qualities they want in a leader. When I define a leader, I see someone who is confident, and is always interested the good the people. In 1676, Bacon’s Rebellion took place in Virginia. One of the main causes for the uprising was Indians raiding and stealing from frontier farmers. A man named Nathaniel Bacon,” a member of the Virginia Governor’s Council, out of sympathy with policies of Governor William Berkeley,”1 thought the government wasn’t doing enough to protect the colonists against the Indians. When it came to leading a group of people, William Berkeley was more politically just than Nathaniel Bacon.

-----When Nathaniel Bacon began the rebellion he was willing put getting revenge against the Indians before the safety of the other colonists and other innocent people. He thought all Indians were enemies and that they did not deserve to coexist with the other colonist. He felt the government wasn't doing enough to protect the frontier farmers against the Indians and "went often times to the Governor, humbly beseeching a commission to go against those Indians at their own [expense]"(15). Despite the fact Governor Berkeley denied Bacon every time, Bacon still found a way around this set back by threatening the life's of other burgesses, putting Berkeley under pressure, and granting Bacon's commission to go against the Indians.

-----Nevertheless, Bacon does later get in trouble for his actions. Soon after he manipulated Berkeley and got out of his punishment. Bacon’s plan was to "march out upon the Enemy with which volunteers [he] could then get, but by so doing found that [he] not only lost the Governor's favor, but exposed [his] very life and fortune at home as well as abroad...but considering the necessity, [he] still proceeded, and returned with a greater victory from sharper conflict then ever yet has been known these parts of the world"(11). In this quote, connotative words such as enemy, exposed, sharper, and conflict give this section of writing a serious tone, which helps display Bacon’s mood and shows he was serious about going against the Indians. In the document Bacon demonstrates his hatred toward the Indians and why he doesn't want to trade with them. In the quote he states "trading with the Indians has proven fatal to these parts of the world, yet I fear we shall be all lost for this commerce having acquainted the Indians...with our manner of living and discipline of war, has also brought with such dexterity, that ourselves often hire them to kill Deer..."(11). Basically Bacons is saying that trading with the Indians hasn't been working and he doesn't want the colonists to rely on Indians for trade. Although I agree that trading with Indians in some cases has proven fatal, but I cannot accept his overall conclusion that all Indians are bad. This is comparable to taking a few criminals from the English society and then making the overall conclusion that their whole race bad and corrupt. I believe Bacon used bad judgment with the Indian race. I believe he should have taken a step back to assess both sides of the conflict, instead of just deeming all of the Indians bad and not caring whether he starts a civil war and killing innocent people in the process; just to get a point across.

-----As a result of start of his rebellion, Bacon had supporters of his viewpoint and the rebellion that came of it. Robert Beverly, a historian writes how he thought Bacon was “qualified” in a sense to lead the rebellion when he wrote, “[Nathaniel Bacon had received a good education in England] and had a moderate Fortune,. He as young, bold, active, of inviting Aspect, and powerful Elocution”(11). Beverly uses connotative words such as young, bold and active to reflect Bacon’s positive character. These words help bring across a happy tone which would give the reader a better understanding of Berkeley’s view that Bacon is ligament to take upon a position to lead a group of people into a rebellion.

-----On the contrary, Governor William Berkley had a different perspective on what he thought was the right thing to do when leading his group of people. Unlike Bacon, he always had the peoples’ best interest at heart and what he thought would be best for the colonist safety. A document written buy Berkeley himself called “Declaration and Remonstrance”, he demonstrates what he has done for the country when he says, “[T]hen in the consideration of service I had done the country, in defending them from, and destroying great numbers of Indians, with out the loss of three men in all the time that war lasted, and in [consideration] of the equal and uncorrupt Justice I had distributed to all men” (16) [.] In this quote, Although Berkeley does not directly say it, but it is implied that his point is that he does care about the safety of the colony. When I first thought of this quote, I automatically agreed with him, especially when he was talking about wanting “uncorrupt justice”. I believe he was referring to Bacon, because Bacon wanted justice for what some of the Indians did to the frontier farmers.[I believe] he went about the situation the wrong way because he didn’t really care who may have gotten hurt in the process, which makes his system corrupt. Berkeley’s plan to deal with the Indians in my opinion was more thought out and processed than Bacon’s plan. In his document, Berkeley says, “Lastly...I would have preserved those Indians that I knew were hourly at our mercy, to have our spies and intelligence to find out our bloody enemies, but as soon as I had the least [bit of information] that they were also treacherous enemies, I gave out commissions to destroy them all…”(17). In this quote, I agree with Berkeley’s logic to go out and get rid of the Indians who may be a threat to the other colonists. Bacon’s plan was to just go and kill all the Indians, because he saw them all as enemies. I think Berkeley is being smart by wanting to keep somewhat of a relationship with the Indians, because both sides benefit from trade.

-----In addition, Berkeley also had supporters against Bacon; despite of the people that turned against him during the rebellion, he still had some loyalists. One of his loyalists was William Sherwood, a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses. Sherwood was describing an event with the Indians and also giving Berkeley credit for the way he reacted toward the situation, when he says, “…a nation of Indians called [Susquehanna’s] having killed some of the inhabitants of this Country [in the fall of 1675] were pursued and several destroyed by the English and Sir Wm. Berkeley our honorable Governor (who hath had long experience of war with the Indians) that he might provide for the safety of this country caused our assembly..”(12). In this quote, Sherwood is giving Berkeley credit for being a good Governor by giving an example of how he dealt with the Indians who threatened the safety of his people. He also mentioned his years of experience; somewhat implying that Bacon didn’t have enough. I agree with this quote that supports Berkeley because it is another example of how he always had the peoples’ best interest at heart. Although he wanted to keep peace and trade with the Indians, he still knew how to protect his people.
In the final analysis, Bacon and Berkeley were had their own perspective on how they thought was the just way to lead a group of people. Overall Berkeley’s leading skills were more legitimate and affective. When all aspects of the event were looked at carefully, some may make the assumption that Bacon did the right thing for stepping out against the government for not meeting the needs of the people, while others may say that his actions didn’t justify his cause. When I judge a leader, I don’t look at what may seem like the right thing to do at that moment, but I look at how they look at the overall picture and what will most benefit the greater good of the people, and that is why Berkeley earned that title.


1. • Dwight L. Smith
• Reviewed work(s): The Governor and the Rebel: A History of Bacon's Rebellion in Virginia by Wilcomb E. Washburn
• Ethnohistory, Vol. 5, No. 2 (Spring, 1958), pp. 176-180 (review consists of 5 pages)
• Published by: Duke University Press