INSTRUCTIONS:   The focus of your paper will be to examine the primary documents that form the basis of the question.  However, you may certainly use any relevant information from either your textbook or in-class lectures to help support your answer.  Any citations MUST BE in MLA format.  Your paper WILL  BE double spaced (no hand written papers), and you will use a font no larger than Arial 10pt, Cambria 11pt, or Times New Roman 12pt. Be sure to include an introduction with a clear thesis statement and argument points, well thought out analysis, proper references, and a neatly worded conclusion.  LENGTH = @ 4 PAGES.

The Topic:

· An uprising by discontent frontiersmen in the Virginia Colony during the year 1676 has since become known as “Bacon’s Rebellion.”  On the surface, the disagreement between Nathaniel Bacon and Governor William Berkeley would seem to be a simple one.  Bacon claims the Governor is abusing his power, saying the Governor “hath traitorously attempted, violated, and injured His Majesties interest here”.  Gov. Berkeley claims Bacon is just mad he isn’t getting special favors, saying he himself has “lived 34 years amongst you, as diligent and uncorrupt as a governor ever was”. Who makes the better argument?  Does either one have the best interests of the “people” in mind?  There is no RIGHT answer here.  Papers will be submitted that support both sides of this debate.  Your goal here is to evaluate the evidence yourself and come to your own conclusion. Please provide at least THREE (3) quotes from Nathaniel Bacons Challenge-1685

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to support your argument.

Part Three: Maturing Colonial Society

3-2 Nathaniel Bacon’s Challenge to William Berkeley and
the Governor’s Response (1 676)

William Berkeley faced many challenges during his almost thirty years in power as Governor of Vir-
ginia-not the least of which was discontent over depressed tobacco prices, rising taxes, and the Indian
presence in the backcountry. These issues came to a head in July 1676 when Nathaniel Bacon defied the
governor’s authority and led a band of frontier vigilantes against all the local Indians and even the gov-
ernor himself. What followed was a brief conflict called Bacon’s Rebellion that left many people dead,
Jamestown in ruins, and the power of the governor and his councilors confirmed.

Source: A Hypertext on American History From the Colonial Period Until Modern Times
http://odur.let.rug.nl/-usa/D/1651-1700/bacon~rebel/bacon~i.htm
http://odur.let.rug.nl/-usa/D/1651-1700/bacon~rebel/berke.htm

The Declaracion of the People.

1. For haveing upon specious pretences of publiqe works raised greate unjust taxes upon the Comonality for the advance-
ment of private favorites and other sinister ends, but noe visible effects in any measure adequate, For not haveing
dureing this long time of his Gouvernement in any measure advanced this hopeful1 Colony either by fortificacons
Townes or Trade.

2. For haveing abused and rendred contemptable the Magistrates of Justice, by advanceing to places of Judicature, scan-
dalous and Ignorant favorites.

3. For haveing wronged his Majesties prerogative and interest, by assumeing Monopoly of the Beaver trade, and for
haveing in that unjust gaine betrayed and sold his Majesties Country and the lives of his loyall subjects, to the bar-
barous heathen.

4. For haveing, protected, favoured, and Imboldned the Indians against his Majesties loyall subjects, never contriveing,
requireing, or appointing any due or proper meanes of sattisfaction for theire many Invasions, robberies, and murthers
comitted upon us.

5. For haveing when the Army of English, was just upon the track of those Indians, who now in all places burne, spoyle,
murther and when we might with ease have destroyed them: who then were in open hostillity, for then haveing
expressly countermanded, and sent back our Army, by passing his word for the peaceable demeanour of the said
Indians, who imediately prosecuted theire evil1 intentions, comitting honed murthers and robberies in all places, being
protected by the said engagement and word past of him the said Sir William Berkeley, haveing ruined and laid deso-
late a greate part of his Majesties Country, and have now drawne themselves into such obscure and remote places, and
are by theire success soe imboldned and confirmed, by theire confederacy soe strengthned that the cryes of blood are
in all places, and the terror, and constimation of the people soe greate, are now become, not onely a difficult, but a very
formidable enimy, who might att first with ease have beene destroyed.

6. And lately when upon the loud outcryes of blood the Assembly had with all care raised and framed an Army for the
preventing of further mischeife and safeguard of this his Majesties Colony.

7. For haveing with onely the privacy of some few favorites, without acquainting the people, onely by the alteracon of
a figure, forged a Comission, by we know not what hand, not onely without, but even against the consent of the
people, for the raiseing and effecting civill warr and destruction, which being happily and without blood shed pre-
vented, for haveing the second time attempted the same, thereby calling downe our forces from the defence of the fron-
teeres and most weekely expoased places.

8. For the prevencon of civill mischeife and ruin amongst ourselves, whilst the barbarous enimy in all places did invade,
murther and spoyle us, his majesties most faithful1 subjects.

Of this and the aforesaid Articles we accuse Sir William Berkeley as guilty of each and every one of the same, and as one
who hath traiterously attempted, violated and Injured his Majesties interest here, by a loss of a greate part of this his
Colony and many of his faithful1 loyall subjects, by him betrayed and in a barbarous and shameful1 manner expoased to
the Incursions and murther of the heathen, And we doe further declare these the ensueing persons in this list, to have
beene his wicked and pernicious councellours Confederates, aiders, and assisters against the Comonality in these our Civil1
comotions.

Sir Henry Chichley William Claiburne Junior
Lieut. Coll. Christopher Thomas Hawkins
Wormeley William Sherwood

Part Three: Maturing Colonial Society

Phillip Ludwell John Page Clerke
Robert Beverley John Cluffe Clerke
Richard Lee John West
Thomas Ballard Hubert Farrell
William Cole Thomas Reade
Richard Whitacre Matthew Kempe
Nicholas Spencer
Joseph Bridger

And we doe further demand that the said Sir William Berkeley with all the persons in this list be forthwith delivered up
or surrender themselves within fower days after the notice hereof, Or otherwise we declare as followeth.

That in whatsoever place, howse, or ship, any of the said persons shall reside, be hidd, or protected, we declaire the
owners, Masters or Inhabitants of the said places, to be confederates and trayters to the people and the estates of them is alsoe
of all the aforesaid persons to be confiscated, and this we the Comons of Virginia doe declare, desiering a firme union
amongst our selves that we may joyntly and with one accord defend our selves against the common Enimy, and lett not the
faults of the guilty be the reproach of the inocent, or the faults or crimes of the oppressours devide and separate us who have
suffered by theire oppressions.

These are therefore in his majesties name to command you forthwith to seize the persons above mentioned as
Trayters to the King and Country and them to bring to Midle plantacon, and there to secure them until1 further order, and
in case of opposition, if you want any further assistance you are forthwith to demand itt in the name of the people in all
the Counties of Virginia.

Nathaniel Bacon
G e n d by Consent of the people.

The declaration and Remonstrance of Sir William Berkeley his most sacred Majesties Governor and Captain General1 of
Virginia

Sheweth That about the yeare 1660 Coll. Mathews the then Governor dyed and then in consideration of the ser-
vice I had don the Country, in defending them from, and destroying great numbers of the Indians, without the loss of
three men, in all the time that warr lasted, and in contemplation of the equall and uncorrupt Justice I had distributed to all
men, Not onely the Assembly but the unanimous votes of all the Country, concurred to make me Governor in a time,
when if the Rebells in England had prevailed, I had certainely dyed for accepting itt, ’twas Gentlemen an unfortunate
Love, shewed to me, for to shew myselfe grateftill for this, I was willing to accept of this Governement againe, when by
my gracious Kings favour I might have had other places much more proffitable, and lesse toylesome then this hath beene.
Since that time that I returned into the Country, I call the great God Judge of all things in heaven and earth to wittness, that
I doe not know of any thing relateive to this Country wherein I have acted unjustly, corruptly, or negligently in distributeing
equall Justice to all men, and takeing all possible care to preserve their proprietys, and defend the from their barbarous
enimies.

But for all this, perhapps I have erred in things I know not of, if I have I am soe conscious of humane frailty, and
my owne defects, that I will not onely acknowledge them, but repent of, and amend them, and not like the Rebell Bacon
persist in an error, onely because I have comitted itt, and tells me in diverse of his Letters that itt is not for his honnor to
confess a fault, but I am of opinion that itt is onely for divells to be incorrigable, and men of principles like the worst of
divells, and these he hath, if truth be reported to me, of diverse of his expressions of Atheisme, tending to take away all
Religion and Laws.

And now I will state the Question betwixt me as a Governor and Mr. Bacon, and say that if any enimies should
invade England, any Councellor Justice of peace or other inferiour officer, might raise what forces they could to protect his
Majesties subjects, But I say againe, if after the Kings knowledge of this invasion, any the greatest peere of England,
should raise forces against the kings prohibition this would be now, and ever was in all ages and Nations accompted
treason. Nay I will goe further, that though this peere was truly zealous for the preservation of his King, and subjects, and
had better and greater abibitys then all the rest of his fellow subjects, doe his King and Country service, yett if the King
(though by false information) should suspect the contrary, itt were treason in this Noble peere to proceed after the King’s
prohibition, and for the truth of this I appeale to all the laws of England, and the Laws and constitutions of all other
Nations in the world, And yett further itt is declared by this Parliament that the takeing up Armes for the King and Par-
liament is treason, for the event shewed that what ever the pretence was to seduce ignorant and well affected people, yett
the end was ruinous both to King and people, as this will be if not prevented, I doe therefore againe declair that Bacon pro-
ceedeing against all Laws of all Nations modern and ancient, is Rebel1 to his sacred Majesty and this Country, nor will I
insist upon the sweareing of men to live and dye togeather, which is treason by the very words of the Law.

Part Three: Maturing Colonial Society

Now my friends I have lived 34 yeares amongst you, as uncorrupt and dilligent as ever Governor was, Bacon is
a man of two yeares amongst you, his person and qualities unknowne to most of you, and to all men else, by any vertuous
action that ever I heard of, And that very action which he boasts of, was sickly and fooleishly, and as I am informed
treacherously carried to the dishonnor of the English Nation, yett in itt, he lost more men then I did in three yeares Warr,
and by the grace of God will putt myselfe to the same daingers and troubles againe when I have brought Bacon to acknowl-
edge the Laws are above him, and I doubt not but by God’s assistance to have better success then Bacon hath had, the
reason of my hopes are, that I will take Councell of wiser men then my selfe, but Mr. Bacon hath none about but the lowest
of the people.

Yett I must further enlarge, that I cannot without your helpe, doe any thinge in this but dye in defence of my King,
his laws, and subjects, which I will cheerefully doe, though alone I doe itt, and considering my poore fortunes, I can not
leave my poore Wife and friends a better legacy then by dyeing for my King and you: for his sacred Majesty will easeily
distinguish betweene Mr. Bacons actions and myne, and Kinges have long Armes, either to reward or punish.

Now after all this, if Mr. Bacon can shew one precedens or example where such actings in any Nation what ever,
was approved of, I will mediate with the King and you for a pardon, and excuce for him, but I can shew him an hundred
examples where brave and great men have beene putt to death for gaineing Victorys against the Comand of their Superiors.

Lastly my most assured friends I would have preserved those Indians that I knew were howerly att our mercy, to
have beene our spyes and intelligence, to finde out our bloody enimies, but as soone as I had the least intelligence that they
alsoe were trecherous enimies, I gave out Commissions to distroy them all as the Commissions themselves will speake itt.

To conclude, I have don what was possible both to friend and enimy, have granted Mr. Bacon three pardons,
which he hath scornefully rejected, suppoaseing himselfe stronger to subvert then I and you to maineteyne the Laws, by
which onely and Gods assisting grace and mercy, all men mwt hope for peace and safety. I will add noe more though much
more is still remaineing to Justifie me and condenme Mr. Bacon, but to desier that this declaration may be read in every
County Court in the Country, and that a Court be presently called to doe itt, before the Assembly meet, That your appro-
bation or dissattisfaction of this declaration may be knowne to all the Country, and the Kings Councell to whose most
revered Judgments itt is submitted, Given the xxixth day of May, a happy day in the xxvWith yeare of his most sacred
Majesties Reigne, Charles the second, who God grant long and prosperously to Reigne, and lett all his good subjects say
Amen.

Sir William Berkeley
Governor

1. What, in general, are Nathaniel Bacon’s complaints against Governor Berkeley? Who do you think
would be most likely to join up with Bacon? Who would be least likely to do so?

2. How does William Berkeley present his case against Bacon? How do his views on relations with the
Indians differ from Bacon’s?