History Essay Outline

I. Politics in Bacon's Rebellion
A.William Berkeley
1. He gave special privelidges to his friends
a. Most if not all of the favored traders were friends of Berkeley.
2. He would not protect the settlers against Indian attacks.
a. Berkeley wanted to maintain peace with the Indians and asked for cooperation from the colonists.
B. Nathaniel Bacon
1. He wanted Berkeley to give him a comission as the leader in the local militia.
a. This is because Bacon wanted to retaliate against the Indians.
2. He believed that the Long Assembly was corrupt.
a. I think he was right because Berkeley raised taxes to pay for the army and thrust it upon the colonists.
II. How politics were reflected in the rebellion.
A. Berkeley tried to stay on good terms with the Indians.
1. He wanted to continue trading with them.
B. Against Berkeley's orders and authority, Bacon attacked a friendly Indian tribe.
1. I think Bacon accidentally attacked the wrong tribe because I do not feel that Bacon wanted more Indians against him.
C. Bacon issued the Declaration of the People
1. After capturing Jamestown, Bacon wanted to make his success complete.
a. I think he did this to try and get all the people of Jamestown on his side.
D. After Bacon died, Berkeley returned to power.
1. He hanged all the major contributors of the rebellion.
a. I think he did this because he disliked having power removed from him by a "rebel."
2. Berkeley was releived of his position as govenor.
a. An investigation committee arrived to look into the matter.
III. How the resolution transformed Chesapeake society.
A. The resolution did very little to change Chesapeake society.
1. Tidewater aristocracy continued to maintain its power long after Berkeley was removed.
2. The only real benefits were that the Indians stopped attacking the colonists.
B. Some say that Bacon's Rebellion was an earlier American Revolution because Bacon was trying to free the colonists from the rule of the powerful English goverment.
IV. Relate this theme to my life today.
A. Politics today seem almost as bad as they were back before and during Bacon's Rebellion.
1. The goverment is becoming almost as corrupt .
a. The goverment is rasing taxes only to give themselves larger salaries.
b. I think that goverment officials work just as hard as us and should recieve no special treatment or privledges.
2. As the goverment becomes more and more corrupt, society will just get worse and worse.
a. I say that eventually people will get tired of all the problems and deal with it themselves.
B. The political aspects do not really affect me just yet but I do know plenty about them to know that it is causing problems.