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Bacon's Rebellion: The Regulatory Movement In North Carolina

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Bacon's Rebellion: The Regulatory Movement In North Carolina
Before the unification of the American Colonies to form the United States of America, the colonies were divided internally. The colonies experienced a series of revolts and rebellions due to mounting social, political, and economic tensions. Like all rebellions and revolutions, they were led by the middle class. The friction occurred between parties like the Colonists and the British, the Colonists and the Native Americans, and the Colonists with each other. Many of these revolts and rebellions resulted in massacres and deaths, but in defense of the rebels, their reasons for rebellion was well established, while their actions during the rebellion can be abhorred. In Virginia, there was Bacon's Rebellion. The social precedents that led …show more content…
It was a rebellion against corrupt officials. One could argue that it was the predecessor to the American Revolutionary War. The North Carolina county officials were cruel and corrupted. They were very governed their people in tyranny. Many officials of different counties banded with each other to form a united front in extorting money and imposing harsh taxes for their own personal gain. The colonial governor failed to act accordingly to stop the unjust actions of the officials because it was afraid that it would cost him the endorsements of the said officials. Culpepper's Rebellion in the Carolinas was also a political revolt. The current governor of Carolina, John Jenkins, was very weak minded and so, Thomas Miller, a customs official, established the "Proprietary Party" of what would be today's North Carolina, and named himself governor, replacing Jenkins. To combat Miller and his proprietary party's takeover of the colony, John Culpepper took it upon himself to establish the "Anti-Proprietary" party. Miller was captured but he eventually escaped and filed a suit against Culpepper in England. Culpepper was tried for treason but was later acquitted when evidence showed that Miller violated the charter by proclaiming his party and himself as

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