Bacon's Rebellion

In this paper, we will explore how Europeans on the frontier of settlement often had contentious relationships with others. These outsiders often came into conflict with natives, such as in King Phillip’s war, but also came into conflict with those away from the frontier, such as in Bacon’s rebellion. People on the outside of society were usually outsiders in other ways, too. In many places, frontier settlers tended to be poor former indentured servants, many of whom harbored a resentment towards their former masters and a desire for wealth, whether from East or West. This force was the dominating factor behind most of the conflicts in the early colonial era. But in all of these conflicts that were real, the insiders won out in the end, and

It shows the historical trends of conflict between those on the frontier and insiders, and elite consolidation of power, excellently. Bacon’s rebellion had many proximate causes, but no main objectives or driving cause. The story of it is inextricably tied up with the situation in Virginia and the facts in the frontier. Virginia before the rebellion was small and highly unequal. Slaves and landless freemen could not vote. To vote, citizens had to also pay a poll tax unaffordable to almost all. The legislature contained not a single person who had arrived after 1640. For poorer Virginians, the only options to rise up in society were to move to the frontier, and steal land from the Indians. Naturally, this was not appreciated. The frontier was a near constant thicket of raids and counter

Though early relations between Puritans and Indians tended to be good, they became worse as time wore on. New settlers arrived in great waves, and those already there had many children. In 1630, there were 1800 Europeans in New England. In 1680, there were 68,000. This is a rate of population growth that is astoundingly high. And as these populations grew, the good land on the coast was claimed and bought up. New settlers had to move to the frontier, where they inevitably came into conflict with natives. The colonists had entered into a treaty of mutual protection with the Wampanog tribe, but they continued to settle in Wampanoag lands. The colonial assembly had passed a law banning the sale of land to or from Natives. When the Wampanoag leader's brother broke this law, the colonists attempted to arrest him, based off of the testimony of a native ally, John Sassamon. The leader's brother was acquitted, but then Sassamon died, of what the colonists suspected was murder. They proceeded to hang several Indians, including a native potentate. This did not help the tension. A band of Pokanoket raided the Plymouth town of Swansea, laid siege, and killed the people there. Massachusetts Bay officials counterattacked a native settlement. Over the next several years, the New England colonies fought an alliance of native tribes. Though the natives had several early victories, and even managed to attack deep into