Bacon’s Rebellion (1676)
The tortured course of Bacon’s Rebellion revealed a society under deep internal stress . . . . . Bacon’s rebellion was an outburst of long pent up frustrations by marginal taxpayers and ex-servants, driven to desperation by the tobacco depression, as well as by wealthier planters excluded from Berkeley’s circle of favorites.
The emergence of slavery relaxed the economic strains within white society that had helped precipitate Bacon’s Rebellion.
--Kenneth Lindloff, Historian
Indentured servitude required plantation owners to not only release their servants after completion of their contract, but to also provide them with land. Since plantation owners did not want to forfeit their own lands, they purchased lands along the frontier for the recently released indentured servants to settle. Thus, two issues came to a head. First, freedmen planted tobacco and this increased, the supply thus lowering the prices. This new competition depressed prices and precipitated the need to grow even more tobacco in order to maintain profits.
The second issue was the encroachment of settlers on what was to remain Indian tribal lands along the western frontier. Former indentured servants demanded protection, and took matters into their own hands. When the colonial government tried to stop the settlers attacks against Indians, the settlers turned their frustrations on the Royal Governor in what is know as Bacon’s Rebellion.
Indentured servitude threatened war with Indians and a further price depression for tobacco. Permanent slavery of Africans became economically attractive, as it did not posses the long-term threats to economic and political stability, as evidenced by Bacon’s Rebellion, of the colony.
QUESTIONS:
1. How exactly did former indentured servants threaten the long-term economic and political stability of the Virginian colony?
Because indentured servitude threatened war with Indians and a further price depression for tobacco. Permanent slavery of Africans became economically attractive, as it did not posses the long-term threats to economic and political stability, as evidenced by Bacon’s Rebellion, of the colony.
2. What were the economic benefits of importing African slaves to replace indentured servitude?
The emergence of slavery relaxed the economic strains within white society that had helped precipitate Bacon’s Rebellion.
The tortured course of Bacon’s Rebellion revealed a society under deep internal stress . . . . . Bacon’s rebellion was an outburst of long pent up frustrations by marginal taxpayers and ex-servants, driven to desperation by the tobacco depression, as well as by wealthier planters excluded from Berkeley’s circle of favorites.
The emergence of slavery relaxed the economic strains within white society that had helped precipitate Bacon’s Rebellion.
--Kenneth Lindloff, Historian
Indentured servitude required plantation owners to not only release their servants after completion of their contract, but to also provide them with land. Since plantation owners did not want to forfeit their own lands, they purchased lands along the frontier for the recently released indentured servants to settle. Thus, two issues came to a head. First, freedmen planted tobacco and this increased, the supply thus lowering the prices. This new competition depressed prices and precipitated the need to grow even more tobacco in order to maintain profits.
The second issue was the encroachment of settlers on what was to remain Indian tribal lands along the western frontier. Former indentured servants demanded protection, and took matters into their own hands. When the colonial government tried to stop the settlers attacks against Indians, the settlers turned their frustrations on the Royal Governor in what is know as Bacon’s Rebellion.
Indentured servitude threatened war with Indians and a further price depression for tobacco. Permanent slavery of Africans became economically attractive, as it did not posses the long-term threats to economic and political stability, as evidenced by Bacon’s Rebellion, of the colony.
QUESTIONS:
1. How exactly did former indentured servants threaten the long-term economic and political stability of the Virginian colony?
Because indentured servitude threatened war with Indians and a further price depression for tobacco. Permanent slavery of Africans became economically attractive, as it did not posses the long-term threats to economic and political stability, as evidenced by Bacon’s Rebellion, of the colony.
2. What were the economic benefits of importing African slaves to replace indentured servitude?
The emergence of slavery relaxed the economic strains within white society that had helped precipitate Bacon’s Rebellion.
