IX. Bacon’s Rebellion A. Setting 1. People living longer starting from 1660s 2. Indentured servants out living their contracts 3. Tobacco prices drop 4. Plantation farmers buy more land and plant more Tobacco 5. Forced poor to become tenant farmers or move 6. Governor built forts on frontier a. stop emigration b. preserve peace 7. Social unrest a. 1/4 of all men in Virginia landless and unemployed b. mutinies among servants c. protests over rising taxes and inflation 8. Opposition to forts and Desire for reprisals against Indians a. illegal immigration & retaliation by Indians

B. Nathaniel Bacon 1. wealthy man recently from England sought trade with Indians 2. Governor, Sir William Berkeley controlled trade a. friends of governor give him kickbacks for concessions b. no more concessions available 3. Bacon discouraged a. joins in opposition to Governor b. poor want to kill Indians for land 4. Bacon leads expedition against Indians a. attacks peaceful and hostile Indians C. Civil War in Virginia 1. Berkeley gathers Army to stop Bacon a. Both sides offered freedom if they joined army b. Berkeley offered all freemen the vote c. Calls for new election d. Plan backfires, i. new assembly passes reform legislation ii. imposes restrictions on governor

2. Both armies strong and plunder different parts of Virginia a Berkeley sends militia out of Jamestown b. Bacon takes Jamestown c. Berkeley forced to flee 3. Bacon in victory a. burns Jamestown in Sept. b. dies in Oct. of dysentery c. rebellion falls apart 4. Berkeley seeks help in England a. returns to Virginia with 1,000 troops b. quelled remaining dissidents c. hung 23 remaining leaders d. aristocracy repeals most of the reform laws D. Lasting Effects 1. more land opened for settlements 2. change from relying on indentured servants to slaves 3. Diversify crops (stop relying only on Tobacco)