History of South America

What did Bacons Rebellion reveal about the growth of Virginia colony?

Bacon’s Rebellion revealed both social tensions and Native American concerns in the colony of Virginia in 1676:

• It exposed the power vacuum in 1670s colonial Virginia in an era rife with social inequalities

• Tensions between disenfranchised settlers and elite planters became obvious during the struggle

• It revealed underlying resentment against elite political rule in the growing Virginia Colony with Governor William Berkeley’s policies at issue

• Native American issues played a role as well due to increased frontier attacks which spurred many poor, landless Virginians and frontiersmen alike, like Nathaniel Bacon himself, to push West and demand protection

• It demonstrated deep Native American anxieties over land encroachment from the settlers with their growing presence and demands on traditional tribes.