Portfolio: Essay

Bacon’s Rebellion and Class

In Exodus, Bob Marley sang, “Open your eyes and look within. Are you satisfied with the life you’re livin” (http://www.uvm.edu/~debate/dreadlibrary/skowera.html)? He was aiming for Jah people’s decision against the Babylon establishment. The dissatisfaction of Jah people relates to the lower class’s displeasure with the higher class. The social classes’ inequalities 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). I agree that Bacon’s decision to revolt for the lower class was effective for the evolution of the colonies.

Like present day United States, the Chesapeake colonies also followed the caste system. The caste system is a social hierarchy which people inherit positions and rights by birth from older generations. The system ranks status based on their wealth or the wealth of older generations. Though the United States’ caste system is completely different than the colonies, but both societies obviously showed that a caste system exists. The United States’ classes are well connected, but for the Chesapeake society, they presented a wider gap between the wealthy and the poor. For example, “Virginia pivoted form 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 tobacco was their major export. Whoever owned crops made vast amount of profit from their export. They were known as the elite planters or yeoman planters. In other words, they were considered as the higher class. When the Chesapeake colonies were economically growing, planters wanted more hands to work on their crops. This was the start of class distinction between the planters and the lower class. English immigrants agreed on a contract to serve four to five years for the planters. After their contract expired, the servants had the opportunity to become freed servants or landless colonists (The American Promise 80-85). Although the immigrants 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 and William Berkeley with other government officials.

The inequality between the wealthy and the poor classes affected Nathaniel Bacon to promote a rebellion. Robert Beverley wrote the history of the revolt in 1704, which he was in the account of the event. 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. He was part of the wealthy class. Though the higher class didn’t understand why he would support the lower class. Bacon sympathized the lower class settler’s inequality with the planters and government officials. Although The American Promise, may object the inequality between the classes because it states that the “colonists […] accepted social hierarchy and inequality as long as they believed government officials ruled for the general good” (89). Government officials also represented in the higher class because they held close ties with the elite planters. To the freed servants, the officials didn’t govern well, making the government corrupt. William Berkeley, as Virginia’s governor, thought he followed the government for the greater good. Berkeley claimed that he “doe not know of anything 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). I think Berkeley’s statement was inaccurate because he had contradicted himself. They “raised greate unjust taxes upon the Comonality for the advancement of private favorites” (“Declaration in the Name of the People,” Nathaniel Bacon). The elites and Berkeley showed unfairness towards the lower class because they raised taxes for their private gain of wealth. In his article, Robert Beverley maintained 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 inequality of taxes, attaining properties were also the cause of Bacon’s Rebellion. The landless colonists immigrated to Chesapeake colonies to purchase land and had 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 commodities (The American Promise 84-92). I believe that they should encroach because there was no sufficient amount of land to purchase in the colonies since most of the land was taken by the wealthy. This also influenced Bacon to support the lower class to achieve their goal (and also disappointed the higher class). Though I disagree with their decision to invade and gain Indian land because it was considered stealing. Before, the colonists and the Native Americans already signed the treaty. The poor were violating that agreement. The treaty states that “to minimize contact between settlers and Indians and thereby maintain peace” (The American Promise 92). The colonists had to stay within the colonies and the Indians stay on their own land. In other words, settlers cannot encroach on Indian land. However, the landless colonists did so. In the lower class and Bacon’s perspective, I agree with their decision to encroach. The lower class disobeyed the treaty due to their inequality with the rich class. The poor class needed to provide their crops for survival and to become wealthy (The American Promise 92).

With Bacon’s help for the colonists, the rebellion’s resolution affected the Chesapeake society significantly. 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 the landless’ decision to fight with the Indians for their land, but the land benefited the lower class with wealth. They reached 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). After the rebellion, the King’s approval shaped Chesapeake society into equality between the classes. The reduction of indenture servants transitioned Chesapeake colonies to a slave labor system which they used 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 Chesapeake society relates to the society of American life today. In relation, present day America consists of inequality by class. 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. As a high school student, it is easy to distinct the kinds of cliques or groups. Some cliques are higher than the other cliques based on education (GPA or year), wealth, income, or profession. For example, a person, belonging to a popular group, running for class president against a seemingly “nerd” would most likely receive the most votes no matter how they can demonstrate leadership. This means that “popular” people have more privileges than those who are not popular.

Social hierarchy was one of the primary causes of Bacon’ 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 tried to strengthen to become as equal and to have the right to improve life as one pleases.

Sources:

1) Holy Zion! A Study of Ethiopianism in Rastafarianism with a Focus on the Concept Of Ethiopia as Zion http://www.uvm.edu/~debate/dreadlibrary/skowera.html

2) The American Promise

3) On Bacon's Rebellion, 1704 Robert Beverley

4) On Bacon's Rebellion William Berkeley

5) Declaration in the Name of the People Nathaniel Bacon