Subjects:
equally justice administered to all men," as stated by, Nathaniel Bacon. 1 In
1676 an uprising known as Bacon's Rebellion occurred in Virginia. The immediate
cause of this revolt was the dissension between the planters and the Indians.
Because Sir William Berkeley, the Governor of Virginia had willingly denied
support to the farmers, Bacon assumed leadership of an unauthorized expedition
against the Indians. When Bacon learned that Governor Berkeley was rising a
force against him, he turned away from the Indians to fight with Berkley. This
had now become a serious problem for the governor. When news of this revolt had
reached King Charles II, it alarmed him so that he dispatched eleven hundred
troops to Virginia, recalled his governor, and appointed a commission to
determine the causes of the dissatisfaction. Bacon's Rebellion is considered to
be the most important event in the establishment of democracy in colonial
America because the right to vote and social equality were denied to the farmers
. . .
their selfish purposes. When he led his men into town to form an assembly,
it would be the first assembly in fifteen years. They were now considered legal
voters. The problems with a society that
has a wide range of classes are certain classes have privileges that other
classes do not. They were finally able to
appeal a law that denied their right to vote. After the long struggle and
hard fought battle these freemen received their gift. Besides influencing governmental
procedures in Virginia, recent research suggests it might have affected English
domestic and foreign policies as well. In
addition the farmers had no rights. After defeating the Indians, the unofficially elected
Nathaniel Bacon took charge. For example the rich people were able to communicate with
Berkeley. The frontiers men could only take so much.
Bacon and his followers fought for their right to vote and denounced
social inequality in Virginia, by taking matters into their own hands. During the
17th century in Virginia, people were either wealthy or poor. Bacon's
Rebellion has become the most significant episode leading towards democracy in
colonial America.
Essay's Topics
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