Bacon's Rebellion Causes
Throughout the 18th century, America’s quest for autonomy manifested itself in the Continental Congress, The Declaration of Independence, and the American Constitution. This sense of freedom caused America to gradually split apart from its motherland, Great Britain. Due to a multitude of political missteps, mistakes, and heavy-handedness by the British, a growing number of Americans were convinced that Britain had embarked on a mission to deprive them of their property and undermine them to slavery. For the sake of self-betterment, America started gravitating towards a sense of sovereignty, leaving Britain’s blunders behind as it started a new beginning for the amelioration of itself. An amalgam of Enlightenment theories, historical documents,
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Nathaniel Bacon, a colonist, initiated a massive rebellion against Governor Berkeley, an infamous slaveholder and corrupt colonial governor of Virginia. The four causes of this rebellion are in Robert Beverley on Bacon’s Rebellion where it states “First, The extreme low price of tobacco, and the ill usage of the planters in the exchange of goods for it… The splitting the colony into proprieties… the heavy restraints and burdens laid upon their trade by act of Parliament in England… the disturbance given by the Indians.” These four causes gave Bacon a reason to unite colonists and slaves to overthrow Berkley. Locke’s ideas influenced Bacon because the people had a right to rebel according to Locke and Bacon took advantage of that opportunity and united different social classes to gain rights for everyone. Berkeley viewed Bacon’s Rebellion as “a direct challenge to his own authority” because always having been in charge, the thought of autonomy made him feel insecure. Bacon’s rebellion caused a unity among many colonists from different backgrounds as well as their slaves because both slaves and colonists revolted against Berkeley. Colonists were now prepared to revolt against the monarchy to establish an autonomous society because of the effect of Bacon’s Rebellion on the
Nathaniel Bacon, a colonist, initiated a massive rebellion against Governor Berkeley, an infamous slaveholder and corrupt colonial governor of Virginia. The four causes of this rebellion are in Robert Beverley on Bacon’s Rebellion where it states “First, The extreme low price of tobacco, and the ill usage of the planters in the exchange of goods for it… The splitting the colony into proprieties… the heavy restraints and burdens laid upon their trade by act of Parliament in England… the disturbance given by the Indians.” These four causes gave Bacon a reason to unite colonists and slaves to overthrow Berkley. Locke’s ideas influenced Bacon because the people had a right to rebel according to Locke and Bacon took advantage of that opportunity and united different social classes to gain rights for everyone. Berkeley viewed Bacon’s Rebellion as “a direct challenge to his own authority” because always having been in charge, the thought of autonomy made him feel insecure. Bacon’s rebellion caused a unity among many colonists from different backgrounds as well as their slaves because both slaves and colonists revolted against Berkeley. Colonists were now prepared to revolt against the monarchy to establish an autonomous society because of the effect of Bacon’s Rebellion on the