Bacon’s Rebellion

As Bacon readied his forces to pursue battles with the Indians, his aggression required the acquisition of horses and supplies from many local residents. The prospects for indentured servants were less attractive as the lands being distributed became less valuable. Bacon led a party of men into the frontier, without commission, to confront the Indians. Governor Berkeley declared Bacon and his followers to be rebels and traitors, both of which carried a potential penalty of death (Washburn 41). Whether or not these events would have occurred faster, or even would have occurred at all, is often disagreed upon. olony into proprieties, contrary to the original charters, which left many of the poorer settlers with less valuable properties, this, too, was carried out by the House of Burgesses and Governor Berkeley. Governor Berkeley then attempted to raise a militia to aid the troubled township.

Bacon returned to Jamestown where, accompanied by 50 well-armed men, he handed a written confession acknowledging his misdeeds and promising no further disturbances. These conditions became worse as more settlers arrived and the demand for indentured servants increased. Indians had attacked Bacon’s plantation, killing one of his indentured servants, and he wanted revenge for this deed. Bacon pressured further for commission to execute Indian attacks, but found approval only after his nearby followers readied their weapons (Washburn 57).

The transition to slavery is often attributed to these events, as those in power now feared the unification of black slaves and poorer whites in resistance to their control. Likewise, many historians disagree about Bacon’s motives for the revolt. Conditions improved to a degree for poorer whites, the numbers of enslaved persons being imported escalated, and the American Revolution was postponed for over 100 years. Realizing the support that Bacon and his followers had obtained, Governor Berkeley concluded his reign as governor was at an end (Wertenbaker 40).