Final Draft - Bacon's Rebellion and Class

Bob Marley quotes, “Open your eyes and look within. Are you satisfied with the life you’re livin’” (http://www.uvm.edu/~debate/dreadlibrary/skowera. html)? His quote targets the gap between social classes in the Chesapeake colonies especially the lower class. The lower class was not pleased with the inequalities between them and the higher class. The social gap of the British colonists led to one of the most important event of American history, Bacon’s Rebellion. Bacon’s Rebellion was led by Nathaniel Bacon in the 1670s, which he supported the lower class (The American Promise 92). Bacon’s decision to revolt for the lower class was justified.

Similar to countries like India, Chesapeake colonies followed the caste system. The caste system is a social hierarchy in which people inherit positions and rights by birth from older generations. The caste system rank status based on their wealth or the wealth of older generations. This is related to the society of the Chesapeake colonies. For example, “Virginia pivoted from a colony of rather aimless adventurers into a society of tobacco planters” (The American Promise 80). Chesapeake colonies were known as the tobacco society because it was the major export. Whoever owns crops were making big profit from their export. They were known as elite planters or yeoman planters. In other words, they were considered as the higher class. When Chesapeake colonies were economically growing, planters wanted more hands to work on their tobacco or other commodity crops. This was the start of class distinction between the planters and the lower class. English immigrants served as indentured servants with a contract of four to seven years. After their contract expired, servants became freed servants or landless colonists (The American Promise 80-85). Although they moved up a status, they were still in the lower class. The social gap between planters and freed servants led to the battle between Nathaniel Bacon and William Berkeley with other government officials.

The inequality between the wealthy and the poor classes affected Nathaniel Bacon’s to promote a rebellion. Robert Beverley wrote the history of Bacon’s rebellion in 1704 and he was also in the account of the rebellion. According to Beverley, Nathaniel Bacon “had been brought up at one of the Inns of court in England, and had a moderate fortune” (“On Bacon’s Rebellion, 1704”). In other words, Bacon didn’t come from the lower class, but Bacon sympathized the lower class settlers’ inequality with the planters and government officials. The planters and the government officials were recognized as the higher, wealthy class. Although The American Promise, may object the inequality between the classes because it states that “colonists […] accepted social hierarchy and inequality as long as they believed government officials ruled for the general good” (89). William Berkeley, as Virginia’s governor, thought he followed the government for the greater good. Berkeley claims that he “doe not know of any thing relative to this Country wherein [he] have acted unjustly, corruptly, or negligently in distributing equall Justice to all men” (“On Bacon’s Rebellion,” William Berkeley). Bacon and the lower class considered Berkeley’s statement inaccurate. Therefore, Bacon argues that the elites and the government officials “raised greate unjust taxes upon the Comonality for the advancement of private favorites” (“Declaration in the Name of the People,” Nathaniel Bacon). Agreeing with Bacon, the elites and Berkeley contradicted themselves. They showed unfairness towards the lower class because they raised taxes for their private gain of wealth. In his article, Robert Beverley maintains that “taxes […] fell heaviest on the poor people, the effect whose labor would not clothe their wives and children” ("On Bacon’s Rebellion, 1704”). His point states that the taxes burdened the poor because they cannot afford the expectations of the higher class.

Other than the inequality of taxes, attaining properties was also the cause of Bacon’s Rebellion. The landless colonists immigrated to Chesapeake colonies to purchase land and have the opportunity to become prosperous. In reaching their goal, the poor encroached on Native American land to build up their own crops of tobacco or other commodity (The American Promise 84-92). Landless colonists had to encroach because there was no sufficient amount of land to purchase in the colonies. This also influenced Bacon to support the lower class to achieve their goal. Though I disagree with their decision to invade and gain Indian land because they violated the agreement between Native Americans and colonists. The treaty states that “to minimize contact between settlers and Indians and thereby maintain peace” (The American Promise 92). The treaty was decided by the Indians and the governmental officials. English colonists had to stay within the colonies and the Indians stay on their own land. In other words, settlers can not encroach on Indian land. However, the landless colonists did encroach on Native American land. The lower class disobeyed the colonial government’s treaty due to their inequality (The American Promise 92). Though, I agree with Bacon’s and the colonists’ decision to encroach. The poor class needed to provide their crops for survival and to become wealthy.

With the help from Bacon in the rebellion, the resolution affected the Chesapeake society. Government officials decided that it would be safer to fight with the Indians and did little to prevent settlers in encroaching Indian’s land (The American Promise 93). This lessened the pressure between the elite and the poor. In my opinion, I disagree with their decision to fight with the Indians for land, but it benefited the lower class with wealth. Landless colonists can reach their goal to build up their crops and support themselves. Also, the King of England approved Bacon’s Law. The law was made by Bacon when he was elected as a burgess in 1676. Bacon’s law “gave local settlers a voice in setting tax levies, forbade office holders from demanding bribes, or other extra fees for carrying out their duties, and restored the vote to all free men” (The American Promise 93). Bacon passed this law to reform Chesapeake into equality during the rebellion. After the rebellion, the King’s approval shaped Chesapeake society into equality between the classes. The reduction of indentured servants turned Chesapeake colonies into a slave labor system by using enslaved Africans (The American Promise 97). Both lower and higher classes had little difference between them since then they were considered as superior whites.

The social hierarchy of the Chesapeake society relates to the society of American life today. In relation, American life today consists of inequality by class. America is a diverse country which the complexity of classes differ by education, wealth, income, and profession. Also, citizens inherit their class by birth. Though, Americans have the right of choice to move up to a higher or lower social status. Social status in the U.S. would not be an issue like Bacon’s Rebellion, but there is discrimination between classes. In American culture, high schools are composed of ranks of popularity (which makes high school a heterogeneous mixture). High school students get along with their “same kind” or cliques by sharing the same interests. Also, students judge each other by what they’re wearing which they think it will determine the student’s wealth and where they live. For example, a student wearing out-of-style clothes would be judged as a person who cannot afford to buy new clothes. Stereotypically, sometimes students hang out with others who have the same level of education. Such as grade point averages. High school is basically the competition between cliques of superiority.

Social hierarchy was one of the primary causes of Bacon’s Rebellion in American history. Differences between classes were a major effect in the colonies. The effect led to the cause of the rebellion and how it set a role of reformation which in turn, the rebellion helped the satisfaction of life the classes wanted. The social status of then and today tries to strengthen, like India, to become as equal and to have the right to improve life as one pleases.