Bacon's Rebellion and the American Revolution

Nathaniel Bacon and William Berkley, the governor of Pennsylvania had many differences that stopped them from getting along one of them was their opinion on the Indians in Pennsylvania. Bacon started the rebellion because Berkley did things with out consulting Bacon, which undermined his military authority. It caused King Charles II to send 1,100 troops to Virginia and appoint a commission to determine its causes. The British rule had to get involved and put it in stricter rules, which made it harder for people to get power. Bacons Rebellion promoted people to fight for what they believe in despite its view as non-democratic. Bacons rebellion was seen as putting down democracy because it looked like a quicker way to get to slavery even though it was looked at this way it was the first of many revolutions against the government so it could be seen as a starting point of the American Revolution. Bacons Rebellion showed what seemed to be a separation from English rule.

Virginia in 1676 was a colony in turmoil. For a number of years the popularity of Governor Sir William Berkeley had suffered, especially among smaller farmers and those living on the edge of the frontier. Issues of complaint included land ownership, requirements on voting rights, high taxes, low tobacco prices, restrictive Navigation Acts, and, most importantly, lack of protection from attacks waged by Native Americans. Berkeley’s attempts to negotiate peace with the Native Americans caused him to avoid confronting violations of treaty obligations for fear of making the situation worse. As a result, as a greater percentage of the white population began to infiltrate Indian lands, more and more Virginians, especially unemployed colonists who had formerly been indent...

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...actually make significant changes. In many ways, Bacon’s rebellion was an accurate precursor to the revolution because it showed how settlers would respond with revolt after failing to pressure the colonial government. Like with Bacon’s rebellion, the American Revolution required a couple of rebellious incidents before unifying groups of settlers to organize a more forceful push to achieve their desires.

Bacon’s rebellion was a messy but important experiment in expressing the people’s will under the colonial rule of England. History is still developing its interpretation of its causes and effects, but there is no doubt that without Bacon’s actions America’s history might be different today. His actions pointed to a general desire for the kind of self-determination that democracy provides, even if it didn’t quite produce it like the American Revolution did.