Tuesday, October 30, 2007
#5 AoD
About one to two weeks ago, we had to do an essay on one aspect of Bacon's Rebellion. Government and politics played a large part in this rebellion. At first the rebellion was about fighting against the Indians but it soon turned into a battle between the poor farmers and the planter elite. Bacon ended up burning down Jamestown during this and also replaced many if not all of the old Burgesses. Bacon ended up dying and Berkeley soon returned to power. He was relieved of his position and returned to England while a more "fitting" governor took his place. This relates to Arts of Democracy because like many times in history, the people rebelled against a corrupt or "bad" government. Instead of a more political approach, people often rebell to change what they do not like. I personally think that Bacon would have gotten his point across when he burned Jamestown but perhaps some people are just harder to convince than others. The rebellion as a whole, failed, but tensions between the poor farmers and the planter elite lessened. Rebellion has always seemed to be the way that people have used to fight against their governments and I think that such a method is going to continue being used for years to come. Fighting and war does seem to be a large part of human nature after all.
Friday, October 26, 2007
#13 Mid-Term Practice
All things, somehow, are interconnected. One action stems from another. All things happen because of necessity. Fear and liberty all come from necessity as well. In the given quote, it says fear and liberty are consistent, while liberty and necessity are also consistent. Fear is connected to liberty and liberty is connected to necessity. I often find this to be true. Ofter people are loyal to their governments because of fear of that government. Yet, people are loyal to their governments because they need to be. People want protection so they turn to their government for it. Therefore, they must be loyal to that government.
The main issue is that all things are connected like a chain. Anything that happens is just another link in the chain. Hobbes is trying to say exactly what I said before. People are loyal out of fear but they are also loyal out of necessity. People need their governments to protect them. They are also loyal out of fear of what their governments may do to them. Hobbes says all of man's actions stem from fear of the law. Hobbes says that, "Every desire, and inclination proceeds from some cause, and that from another cause." Basically, the cause of one action becomes the cause of another action. Liberty is naturally a part of man so it is also necessity.
I believe this to be true because I have heard about it happening all over the world. This country was formed because people wanted liberty and freedom from their government. Because of this, we have no need to be fearful of our government but we do need the protection it gives us. In other countries though, I have heard that people have no choice but to be loyal to their governments. In some arab countries for example, people are loyal to the government because they are afraid of being killed. Yet, they are still lyal because they think that the government who rules them will give them protection. I say that such thinking is foolish. If people are afraid o their governments, then why would they think that the government would protect them? I believe that such fears have been a contributing factor in many rebellions in the past. People do notwant to be afraid, they want protection and security.
Liberty comes from necessity, and liberty from fear. They all are interconnected and are consistent with eachother in one way or another. People want liberty without fear.
The main issue is that all things are connected like a chain. Anything that happens is just another link in the chain. Hobbes is trying to say exactly what I said before. People are loyal out of fear but they are also loyal out of necessity. People need their governments to protect them. They are also loyal out of fear of what their governments may do to them. Hobbes says all of man's actions stem from fear of the law. Hobbes says that, "Every desire, and inclination proceeds from some cause, and that from another cause." Basically, the cause of one action becomes the cause of another action. Liberty is naturally a part of man so it is also necessity.
I believe this to be true because I have heard about it happening all over the world. This country was formed because people wanted liberty and freedom from their government. Because of this, we have no need to be fearful of our government but we do need the protection it gives us. In other countries though, I have heard that people have no choice but to be loyal to their governments. In some arab countries for example, people are loyal to the government because they are afraid of being killed. Yet, they are still lyal because they think that the government who rules them will give them protection. I say that such thinking is foolish. If people are afraid o their governments, then why would they think that the government would protect them? I believe that such fears have been a contributing factor in many rebellions in the past. People do notwant to be afraid, they want protection and security.
Liberty comes from necessity, and liberty from fear. They all are interconnected and are consistent with eachother in one way or another. People want liberty without fear.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
#12 Essay 1 Reflection
I honestly think that I did okay, not great but okay. At the most a pass, as the least a low pass. I made good use of my class time but not great use of the time I worked at home. I often got distracted and because of that I din't do the best work that I could have done. It would also have helped if I had spent some more time researching. I could have done much, much better but I did not put one hundred percent effort into it. That is the most likely the contribution to what I get for a grade.
During this essay I believe that I learned a lot about my writing process. The general format of a structured outline, a draft, corrections, and rewriting work fairly well for me. It can be frustrating but it help me to figure out what I am going to write and how I am going to write it. I learned that my writing philosophy has and will change. I learned that for my writing, just organizing my information is not enough. I learned that it has to be more structured and exact for me to write a decent to good essay. I also learned that my opinion is more important now. I learned that I have to start developing my own opinion as I go through lessons an such because it is going to start being more improtant than just facts. I also learned that templates for my drafts can be fairly helpful. Instead of just writing in a sloppy way, I can write in a way that makes and puts my information in a sensible order.
I learned that there is a very large difference between college writing and high school writing. In high school, I could wite two to three pages of semi mindless dribble and still get an A. In college though, writing has to be more focused and specific because getting good grades is at least twice as hard. College writing has to be good and thorough whereas in high school, writing just needs what the assingment asks and nothing more. In short, college writing is by far tougher, and if you don't give your full effort, you are going to fail.
For my next essay, I am going to make some big changes. Firstly, when the essay is assinged, I am not going to mess around. I am going to start reasearching right away so I don't have to do it all at once and have mediocre information. Also, I will take more time to wrok on my draft and make sure that when I work at home, I focus in so the work gets done and done good. I am not going to keep in the mind set that I can somewhat goof off and still do good. Finally I am goign to start planning ahead what part of the process I am going to do on a given day so the work gets done effeciently. I am going to start focusing and trying my hardest so that I can succeed in this school.
During this essay I believe that I learned a lot about my writing process. The general format of a structured outline, a draft, corrections, and rewriting work fairly well for me. It can be frustrating but it help me to figure out what I am going to write and how I am going to write it. I learned that my writing philosophy has and will change. I learned that for my writing, just organizing my information is not enough. I learned that it has to be more structured and exact for me to write a decent to good essay. I also learned that my opinion is more important now. I learned that I have to start developing my own opinion as I go through lessons an such because it is going to start being more improtant than just facts. I also learned that templates for my drafts can be fairly helpful. Instead of just writing in a sloppy way, I can write in a way that makes and puts my information in a sensible order.
I learned that there is a very large difference between college writing and high school writing. In high school, I could wite two to three pages of semi mindless dribble and still get an A. In college though, writing has to be more focused and specific because getting good grades is at least twice as hard. College writing has to be good and thorough whereas in high school, writing just needs what the assingment asks and nothing more. In short, college writing is by far tougher, and if you don't give your full effort, you are going to fail.
For my next essay, I am going to make some big changes. Firstly, when the essay is assinged, I am not going to mess around. I am going to start reasearching right away so I don't have to do it all at once and have mediocre information. Also, I will take more time to wrok on my draft and make sure that when I work at home, I focus in so the work gets done and done good. I am not going to keep in the mind set that I can somewhat goof off and still do good. Finally I am goign to start planning ahead what part of the process I am going to do on a given day so the work gets done effeciently. I am going to start focusing and trying my hardest so that I can succeed in this school.
#4 AoD
Lately my parents and their rules have been getting a little out of hand. Last week they decided that they would start eating healthy. They also think that my sibblings and I should have to eat healthy all the time too. I really do not think that is fair seeing as they tried to do this once before. I have been trying to get them to change their minds ever since they started. So far it has been a partial failure. I told them that I am almost seventeen so I should have some say in what I eat. I also told them that I am young enough to be able to handle junk food in the way that they cannot. They did not take the old joke quite as well as I had hoped but I did make them stop and think for a moment. I have been constantly negotiating with them to at least give me some leverage seeing as I am the oldest. They have bent a little in the past few days. They said they will let me have soda as long as I do not drink it in front of them. I'd call that a victory, a small victory, but a victory none the less. I know they are trying to improve the quality of my life but I am still young. I want to be able to enjoy what I want before I get to old to be able to anymore. Luckily they are starting to see my side even if it is only a little.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Bacon's Rebellion Final Draft
Politics in bacon’s Rebellion
By: Paul Headman
When you hear about Bacon’s rebellion, at first you might think about a children’s story where an army of pigs fights back against humans. That of course is quite absurd. Bacon’s Rebellion was actually about the people of Jamestown rebelling against the town’s government. There were four factors that contributed to the rebellion: politics, economics, race, and class. I will be focusing on the political aspect of the rebellion. I will start with how politics were reflected in the rebellion itself and then how the resolution transformed Chesapeake society. Finally I will talk about how the political theme relates to my life today.
Very few know about Bacon’s Rebellion and even less about the factors that caused the rebellion. Indian raids on plantations forced colonists to call for action. The governor, William Berkeley, did nothing to solve the problem. He wanted to stay on good terms with the Indians and called for the colonists to restrain themselves. Berkeley wanted to continue being able to trade with the Indians. “Berkeley's policy was to preserve the friendship and loyalty of the subject Indians while assuring the settlers that they were not hostile.” (http://www.nps.gov/archive/colo/Jthanout/BacRebel.html) I would think that if Indians were attacking the people that Berkeley governed over, he would have done something about it but perhaps he was just in it for is own gain. Of course, there is a chance Berkeley thought that the more allies he had the better. But then again what is the point of having allies if all one’s “underlings” are dead? Luckily though, Berkeley did do something. He took the Indians powder and ammunition away. He tried to set up a meeting with the chiefs of the tribes but it ended with many of them being killed. If the situation was not bad enough, it was going to become worse seeing as many of the chief’s were now dead. Berkeley tried to resolve the situation but everything just seemed to backfire.
The situation continued to decline after Nathaniel Bacon retaliated against the Indians. In his attempt to get back at the Indians, Bacon attacked the wrong Indians, which in turn caused large raids on both sides. I assume that Bacon accidentally attacked the wrong Indians because I would think that he did not want anymore Indians against him or the rest of the colonists. Usually in war, one would strive to keep away from gaining more enemies to help lessen problems. Bacon went to Berkeley to try and get a commission to lead the local forces against the Indians. Berkeley denied him the commission and Bacon accused Berkeley and the rest of the government of being corrupt. In The Declaration of the People, which Bacon later wrote, he said, “For having wronged his majesties prerogative and interest, by assuming monopoly of the Beaver trade, an for having in that unjust gain betrayed and sold his Majesties Country and the lives of his loyal subjects, to the barbarous heathens.” (http://www.constitution.org/bcp/baconpeo.htm) Bacon finally had enough, surrounded the statehouse, and demanded that he get his commission or else he would shoot several of the Burgesses. Bacon, I feel, was a little too drastic in his actions to get a commission. A short time later, all of the old Burgesses were voted out and Bacon was brought in along with other “common” people. He was of course kicked out by Berkeley and branded a traitor. Bacon then issued The Declaration of the People. In article two it says, “For having abused and rendered contemptable the Magistrates of Justice, by advancing to places of Judicature, scandalous and ignorant favorites.” (http://www.constitution.org/bcp/baconpeo.htm) I believe this means that Berkeley was playing favorites and I completely agree with it. After he captured Jamestown, Bacon wanted to make his success whole. I believe he wrote the Declaration of the People to get every person in Jamestown on his side who was not already. Bacon’s mistake though was letting Berkeley go free after the capture of Jamestown. In an act of rage, Bacon burned down Jamestown on September 19, 1676.
Not much later after Jamestown was burned, Bacon became ill and died. After Bacon’s death, Berkeley was able to regain control of the government. He hung all the major contributors of the rebellion. “All in all, twenty-three persons were hanged for their part in the rebellion.” (http://www.nps.gov/archive/colo/Jthanout/BacRebel.html) I do not think that it was exactly twenty three people who were hanged. In one source I read it said that twenty one people were hanged and another said twenty two people were. I think he did this because he disliked having his power taken away from him and then went overboard when he got his power back. Berkeley, I feel, went out of line with how many people he hung. Very soon afterwards, an investigation committee arrived from England to look into the matter and relieved Berkeley of his position as governor. He was ordered to return to England but he died before he was able to give his report to the king about what happened. I find it ironic that Berkeley went so far to keep the power that he had and then did something foolish which lost him his power.
One would think that Bacon’s Rebellion would have transformed the society of the Chesapeake. In actuality, the resolution of the rebellion did very little or nothing to change Chesapeake society depending on how one looks at it. The only true benefit was that the Indians stopped attacking the colonists. I would say that the cease of Indian raids would be a great thing because the colonists would not have to worry as much about being attacked or killed by them. Politically, the Chesapeake was not transformed after the rebellion. Even though Berkeley was relieved as governor, the Tidewater aristocracy continued to maintain its power. I find it rather sad that the colonists had to trade one poorly run and at least semi corrupt government for another. Also, there was less of a need for the servant-labor system after the rebellion which was able to help stabilize the government. “In the long run, however, the most important contribution to political stability was the declining importance of the servant-labor system.” (The American Promise Volume A: To 1800 by James Roark, Micheal Johnson, Patricia Cohen, Sarah Stage, Alan Lawson, and Susan Hartmann) How it did this though, I am not sure. Maybe it was because permanent slaves were now easier to have instead of people who were only temporary servants. I think that in a political sense, more could have been done to change the Chesapeake but what exactly, I am not sure. As anyone can see, the resolution of Bacon’s Rebellion did very little to change Chesapeake society. The few changes that were made though generally were not for the better.
Politics can be very hard thing to relate to in this day and age, especially seeing as how I am not officially an adult yet. Politics and the government seem almost as bad today as they were back before, during, and after Bacon’s Rebellion. Our government is almost, or just as corrupt, as it was back in Bacon’s time. As I said, in terms of personal experience, I am still too young to have the government affect me on a larger scale. I can though relate the theme of politics to what I know about and see in them today. Often it seems that the government raises taxes and grants favors only to give themselves more money and help themselves in any way they deem fit. They do not seem to care that regular, hard working adults do just as much work as themselves for only a portion of the pay. Government and political officials work just as hard as regular people so I believe that they should get no special treatment or privileges. As the government becomes more and more corrupt, society seems to get worse and worse. People do not seem to have respect for the laws nor do they seem to care. It seems to me, that the government severely punishes people who commit little crimes but let people who commit large crimes off easy. Eventually people are going to get tired of all the problems and take matter into their own hands. At least I think that is what is going to happen.
People do not like being treated unfairly. Our history and our society is proof of that. If our government keeps heading in the direction it is, people are going to start having a problem. Eventually the American people may rebel against the government, as they did in Bacon’s Rebellion, for their unequal and unjust ways. An example would be how we are giving illegal’s most or all services for free while we Americans having to pay and work for everything we want. If such a time comes, it may not be exactly like Bacon’s Rebellion but it will be similar. People will rise up because it is human nature to want better for themselves. I hope that it will not come to that but if it does I can only hope it ends for the better. Many believe that Bacon’s Rebellion was the starting point for what has become America today and this, I firmly believe to be true.
By: Paul Headman
When you hear about Bacon’s rebellion, at first you might think about a children’s story where an army of pigs fights back against humans. That of course is quite absurd. Bacon’s Rebellion was actually about the people of Jamestown rebelling against the town’s government. There were four factors that contributed to the rebellion: politics, economics, race, and class. I will be focusing on the political aspect of the rebellion. I will start with how politics were reflected in the rebellion itself and then how the resolution transformed Chesapeake society. Finally I will talk about how the political theme relates to my life today.
Very few know about Bacon’s Rebellion and even less about the factors that caused the rebellion. Indian raids on plantations forced colonists to call for action. The governor, William Berkeley, did nothing to solve the problem. He wanted to stay on good terms with the Indians and called for the colonists to restrain themselves. Berkeley wanted to continue being able to trade with the Indians. “Berkeley's policy was to preserve the friendship and loyalty of the subject Indians while assuring the settlers that they were not hostile.” (http://www.nps.gov/archive/colo/Jthanout/BacRebel.html) I would think that if Indians were attacking the people that Berkeley governed over, he would have done something about it but perhaps he was just in it for is own gain. Of course, there is a chance Berkeley thought that the more allies he had the better. But then again what is the point of having allies if all one’s “underlings” are dead? Luckily though, Berkeley did do something. He took the Indians powder and ammunition away. He tried to set up a meeting with the chiefs of the tribes but it ended with many of them being killed. If the situation was not bad enough, it was going to become worse seeing as many of the chief’s were now dead. Berkeley tried to resolve the situation but everything just seemed to backfire.
The situation continued to decline after Nathaniel Bacon retaliated against the Indians. In his attempt to get back at the Indians, Bacon attacked the wrong Indians, which in turn caused large raids on both sides. I assume that Bacon accidentally attacked the wrong Indians because I would think that he did not want anymore Indians against him or the rest of the colonists. Usually in war, one would strive to keep away from gaining more enemies to help lessen problems. Bacon went to Berkeley to try and get a commission to lead the local forces against the Indians. Berkeley denied him the commission and Bacon accused Berkeley and the rest of the government of being corrupt. In The Declaration of the People, which Bacon later wrote, he said, “For having wronged his majesties prerogative and interest, by assuming monopoly of the Beaver trade, an for having in that unjust gain betrayed and sold his Majesties Country and the lives of his loyal subjects, to the barbarous heathens.” (http://www.constitution.org/bcp/baconpeo.htm) Bacon finally had enough, surrounded the statehouse, and demanded that he get his commission or else he would shoot several of the Burgesses. Bacon, I feel, was a little too drastic in his actions to get a commission. A short time later, all of the old Burgesses were voted out and Bacon was brought in along with other “common” people. He was of course kicked out by Berkeley and branded a traitor. Bacon then issued The Declaration of the People. In article two it says, “For having abused and rendered contemptable the Magistrates of Justice, by advancing to places of Judicature, scandalous and ignorant favorites.” (http://www.constitution.org/bcp/baconpeo.htm) I believe this means that Berkeley was playing favorites and I completely agree with it. After he captured Jamestown, Bacon wanted to make his success whole. I believe he wrote the Declaration of the People to get every person in Jamestown on his side who was not already. Bacon’s mistake though was letting Berkeley go free after the capture of Jamestown. In an act of rage, Bacon burned down Jamestown on September 19, 1676.
Not much later after Jamestown was burned, Bacon became ill and died. After Bacon’s death, Berkeley was able to regain control of the government. He hung all the major contributors of the rebellion. “All in all, twenty-three persons were hanged for their part in the rebellion.” (http://www.nps.gov/archive/colo/Jthanout/BacRebel.html) I do not think that it was exactly twenty three people who were hanged. In one source I read it said that twenty one people were hanged and another said twenty two people were. I think he did this because he disliked having his power taken away from him and then went overboard when he got his power back. Berkeley, I feel, went out of line with how many people he hung. Very soon afterwards, an investigation committee arrived from England to look into the matter and relieved Berkeley of his position as governor. He was ordered to return to England but he died before he was able to give his report to the king about what happened. I find it ironic that Berkeley went so far to keep the power that he had and then did something foolish which lost him his power.
One would think that Bacon’s Rebellion would have transformed the society of the Chesapeake. In actuality, the resolution of the rebellion did very little or nothing to change Chesapeake society depending on how one looks at it. The only true benefit was that the Indians stopped attacking the colonists. I would say that the cease of Indian raids would be a great thing because the colonists would not have to worry as much about being attacked or killed by them. Politically, the Chesapeake was not transformed after the rebellion. Even though Berkeley was relieved as governor, the Tidewater aristocracy continued to maintain its power. I find it rather sad that the colonists had to trade one poorly run and at least semi corrupt government for another. Also, there was less of a need for the servant-labor system after the rebellion which was able to help stabilize the government. “In the long run, however, the most important contribution to political stability was the declining importance of the servant-labor system.” (The American Promise Volume A: To 1800 by James Roark, Micheal Johnson, Patricia Cohen, Sarah Stage, Alan Lawson, and Susan Hartmann) How it did this though, I am not sure. Maybe it was because permanent slaves were now easier to have instead of people who were only temporary servants. I think that in a political sense, more could have been done to change the Chesapeake but what exactly, I am not sure. As anyone can see, the resolution of Bacon’s Rebellion did very little to change Chesapeake society. The few changes that were made though generally were not for the better.
Politics can be very hard thing to relate to in this day and age, especially seeing as how I am not officially an adult yet. Politics and the government seem almost as bad today as they were back before, during, and after Bacon’s Rebellion. Our government is almost, or just as corrupt, as it was back in Bacon’s time. As I said, in terms of personal experience, I am still too young to have the government affect me on a larger scale. I can though relate the theme of politics to what I know about and see in them today. Often it seems that the government raises taxes and grants favors only to give themselves more money and help themselves in any way they deem fit. They do not seem to care that regular, hard working adults do just as much work as themselves for only a portion of the pay. Government and political officials work just as hard as regular people so I believe that they should get no special treatment or privileges. As the government becomes more and more corrupt, society seems to get worse and worse. People do not seem to have respect for the laws nor do they seem to care. It seems to me, that the government severely punishes people who commit little crimes but let people who commit large crimes off easy. Eventually people are going to get tired of all the problems and take matter into their own hands. At least I think that is what is going to happen.
People do not like being treated unfairly. Our history and our society is proof of that. If our government keeps heading in the direction it is, people are going to start having a problem. Eventually the American people may rebel against the government, as they did in Bacon’s Rebellion, for their unequal and unjust ways. An example would be how we are giving illegal’s most or all services for free while we Americans having to pay and work for everything we want. If such a time comes, it may not be exactly like Bacon’s Rebellion but it will be similar. People will rise up because it is human nature to want better for themselves. I hope that it will not come to that but if it does I can only hope it ends for the better. Many believe that Bacon’s Rebellion was the starting point for what has become America today and this, I firmly believe to be true.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Second draft for Bacon's Rebellion
When you hear about Bacon’s rebellion, at first you might think about a children’s story where an army of pigs fights back against humans. This of course is quite absurd. Bacon’s Rebellion was actually about the rebellion of the people of Jamestown against the town’s government. There were four factors that contributed to the rebellion: politics, economics, race, and class. I will be focusing on the political aspect. I will discuss how politics were reflected in the rebellion itself and then how the resolution transformed Chesapeake society. Finally I will talk about how the political theme relates to my life today.
Very few know about Bacon’s Rebellion and even less about the factors that caused the rebellion. Indian raids on plantations forced colonists to call for action. The governor, William Berkeley, did nothing to solve the problem. He wanted to stay on good terms with the Indians and called for the colonists to restrain themselves. Berkeley wanted to continue being able to trade with the Indians which was why he wanted to maintain good relations. “Berkeley's policy was to preserve the friendship and loyalty of the subject Indians while assuring the settlers that they were not hostile.” (http://www.nps.gov/archive/colo/Jthanout/BacRebel.html) I would think that if Indians were attacking the people that Berkeley governed over, he would have done something about it but maybe he was just in it for is own gain. Of course, perhaps Berkeley thought that the more allies he had the better. But then again what is the point of having allies if all one’s “underlings” are dead? Luckily though, Berkeley did do something and took the Indians powder and ammunition away. He tried to set up a meeting with the chiefs but it ended with many of them being killed. If the situation was not bad enough, it was going to become worse seeing as many of the chief’s were now dead. Berkeley tried to resolve the situation but he obviously did not try hard enough.
The situation continued to decline after Nathaniel Bacon retaliated against the Indians. In his attempt to get back at the Indians, Bacon attacked the wrong Indians, which in turn caused large raids on both sides. I assume that Bacon accidentally attacked the wrong Indians because I would think that he did not want anymore Indians against him or the colonists. Usually in war, one would strive to keep away from gaining more enemies to help lessen problems. Bacon went to Berkeley to try and get a commission to lead the local forces against the Indians. Berkeley denied him many times but Bacon accused Berkeley and the rest of the government to be corrupt. In The Declaration of the People, which Bacon later wrote, he said, “For having wronged his majesties prerogative and interest, by assuming monopoly of the Beaver trade, an for having in that unjust gain betrayed and sold his Majesties Country and the lives of his loyal subjects, to the barbarous heathens.” (http://www.constitution.org/bcp/baconpeo.htm) Bacon finally had enough, surrounded the statehouse, and demanded that he get his commission or else he would shoot several of the Burgesses. Bacon I feel, was a little too drastic in his actions to get a commission. Berkeley had no choice but to give in. At a later time, all of the old Burgesses were voted out and Bacon was brought in. He was of course kicked out by Berkeley and branded a traitor. Bacon later issued The Declaration of the People. In article two it says, “For having abused and rendered contemptable the Magistrates of Justice, by advancing to places of Judicature, scandalous and ignorant favorites.” (http://www.constitution.org/bcp/baconpeo.htm) After he captured Jamestown, Bacon wanted to make his success whole. I believe he wrote the Declaration of the People to get every person in Jamestown on his side who was not already. Bacon’s mistake though was letting Berkeley go free after the capture of Jamestown. On a later date, in an act of rage, Bacon burned down Jamestown on September 19, 1676.
Not much later after Jamestown was burned, Bacon became ill and died. After Bacon’s death, Berkeley was able to regain control of the government. He hung all the major contributors of the rebellion. “All in all, twenty-three persons were hanged for their part in the rebellion.” (http://www.nps.gov/archive/colo/Jthanout/BacRebel.html) I think he did this because he disliked having his power taken away from him and then went overboard when he got his power back and I definitely do not agree with his actions. Berkeley, I feel, went way overboard with how many people he hung. Not much sooner, did an investigation committee arrive from England to look into the matter and relieved Berkeley of his position as governor. He was ordered to return to England. He died before he was able to give his report to the king about what happened. I find it ironic that Berkeley went so far to keep the power that he had and then did something foolish which lost him his power.
One would think that Bacon’s Rebellion would have transformed the society of the Chesapeake. In actuality, the resolution of the rebellion did very little or nothing to change Chesapeake society depending on how one looks at it. The only true benefit was that the Indians stopped attacking the colonists. I would say that the cease of Indian raids would be a great thing because the colonists would not have to worry as much about being attacked or killed. Politically, the Chesapeake was not transformed after the rebellion. Even though Berkeley was relieved as governor, the Tidewater aristocracy continued to maintain its power. I find it rather sad that the colonists had to trade one poorly run and at least semi corrupt government for another. Also, there was less of a need for the servant-labor system after the rebellion which was able to help stabilize the government for the long-run. “In the long run, however, the most important contribution to political stability was the declining importance of the servant-labor system.” (The American Promise Volume A: To 1800 by James Roark, Micheal Johnson, Patricia Cohen, Sarah Stage, Alan Lawson, and Susan Hartmann) How it did this though, I am not sure. Maybe it was because permanent slaves were now easier to have instead of white people who were only temporary servants. I think that in a political sense, more could have been done to change the Chesapeake but what exactly could have been done, I am not sure. As anyone can see, the resolution of Bacon’s Rebellion did very little to change Chesapeake society. The few changes that were made though generally were not for the better.
The political theme can be related to my life, today. Politics seem almost as bad today as they were back before, during, and after Bacon’s Rebellion. Our government is almost or just as corrupt as it was back in Bacon’s time. In terms of personal experience though, I am still too young to have the government affect me on a larger scale. I can though relate the theme of politics to what I know about and see in them today. Often it seems that the government raises taxes and grants favors only to give themselves more money and help themselves in any way they deem fit. They do not seem to care that regular, hard working adults do just as much work as them for only a portion of the pay. Government and political officials work just as hard as regular people so I believe that they should get no special treatment or privileges. As the government becomes more and more corrupt, society seems to get worse and worse. People seem to have no respect for the laws nor do they seem to care. The government severely punishes people who commit little crimes but let people who commit large crimes off easy. Eventually people are going to get tired of all the problems and take matter into their own hands. At least I think that is what is going to happen.
As I said before, politics do not completely affect me just yet. In my school though, the political aspect is better by far. Like the government we are a democracy. Unlike the government though, we are not corrupt. Everyone in this school works just as hard as everyone else for equal reward. This of course differs from regular school which is run like a monarchy. The teachers told us what to do and that was it. We had no say in what went on in the school. As I get older, I see that politics begin to affect me more and become a more integral part of my life. As time goes on, the government and our politics are going to get worse. I hope that things start to turn for the better. I have a strong feeling though, that things are going to get a lot worse before they get any better.
Very few know about Bacon’s Rebellion and even less about the factors that caused the rebellion. Indian raids on plantations forced colonists to call for action. The governor, William Berkeley, did nothing to solve the problem. He wanted to stay on good terms with the Indians and called for the colonists to restrain themselves. Berkeley wanted to continue being able to trade with the Indians which was why he wanted to maintain good relations. “Berkeley's policy was to preserve the friendship and loyalty of the subject Indians while assuring the settlers that they were not hostile.” (http://www.nps.gov/archive/colo/Jthanout/BacRebel.html) I would think that if Indians were attacking the people that Berkeley governed over, he would have done something about it but maybe he was just in it for is own gain. Of course, perhaps Berkeley thought that the more allies he had the better. But then again what is the point of having allies if all one’s “underlings” are dead? Luckily though, Berkeley did do something and took the Indians powder and ammunition away. He tried to set up a meeting with the chiefs but it ended with many of them being killed. If the situation was not bad enough, it was going to become worse seeing as many of the chief’s were now dead. Berkeley tried to resolve the situation but he obviously did not try hard enough.
The situation continued to decline after Nathaniel Bacon retaliated against the Indians. In his attempt to get back at the Indians, Bacon attacked the wrong Indians, which in turn caused large raids on both sides. I assume that Bacon accidentally attacked the wrong Indians because I would think that he did not want anymore Indians against him or the colonists. Usually in war, one would strive to keep away from gaining more enemies to help lessen problems. Bacon went to Berkeley to try and get a commission to lead the local forces against the Indians. Berkeley denied him many times but Bacon accused Berkeley and the rest of the government to be corrupt. In The Declaration of the People, which Bacon later wrote, he said, “For having wronged his majesties prerogative and interest, by assuming monopoly of the Beaver trade, an for having in that unjust gain betrayed and sold his Majesties Country and the lives of his loyal subjects, to the barbarous heathens.” (http://www.constitution.org/bcp/baconpeo.htm) Bacon finally had enough, surrounded the statehouse, and demanded that he get his commission or else he would shoot several of the Burgesses. Bacon I feel, was a little too drastic in his actions to get a commission. Berkeley had no choice but to give in. At a later time, all of the old Burgesses were voted out and Bacon was brought in. He was of course kicked out by Berkeley and branded a traitor. Bacon later issued The Declaration of the People. In article two it says, “For having abused and rendered contemptable the Magistrates of Justice, by advancing to places of Judicature, scandalous and ignorant favorites.” (http://www.constitution.org/bcp/baconpeo.htm) After he captured Jamestown, Bacon wanted to make his success whole. I believe he wrote the Declaration of the People to get every person in Jamestown on his side who was not already. Bacon’s mistake though was letting Berkeley go free after the capture of Jamestown. On a later date, in an act of rage, Bacon burned down Jamestown on September 19, 1676.
Not much later after Jamestown was burned, Bacon became ill and died. After Bacon’s death, Berkeley was able to regain control of the government. He hung all the major contributors of the rebellion. “All in all, twenty-three persons were hanged for their part in the rebellion.” (http://www.nps.gov/archive/colo/Jthanout/BacRebel.html) I think he did this because he disliked having his power taken away from him and then went overboard when he got his power back and I definitely do not agree with his actions. Berkeley, I feel, went way overboard with how many people he hung. Not much sooner, did an investigation committee arrive from England to look into the matter and relieved Berkeley of his position as governor. He was ordered to return to England. He died before he was able to give his report to the king about what happened. I find it ironic that Berkeley went so far to keep the power that he had and then did something foolish which lost him his power.
One would think that Bacon’s Rebellion would have transformed the society of the Chesapeake. In actuality, the resolution of the rebellion did very little or nothing to change Chesapeake society depending on how one looks at it. The only true benefit was that the Indians stopped attacking the colonists. I would say that the cease of Indian raids would be a great thing because the colonists would not have to worry as much about being attacked or killed. Politically, the Chesapeake was not transformed after the rebellion. Even though Berkeley was relieved as governor, the Tidewater aristocracy continued to maintain its power. I find it rather sad that the colonists had to trade one poorly run and at least semi corrupt government for another. Also, there was less of a need for the servant-labor system after the rebellion which was able to help stabilize the government for the long-run. “In the long run, however, the most important contribution to political stability was the declining importance of the servant-labor system.” (The American Promise Volume A: To 1800 by James Roark, Micheal Johnson, Patricia Cohen, Sarah Stage, Alan Lawson, and Susan Hartmann) How it did this though, I am not sure. Maybe it was because permanent slaves were now easier to have instead of white people who were only temporary servants. I think that in a political sense, more could have been done to change the Chesapeake but what exactly could have been done, I am not sure. As anyone can see, the resolution of Bacon’s Rebellion did very little to change Chesapeake society. The few changes that were made though generally were not for the better.
The political theme can be related to my life, today. Politics seem almost as bad today as they were back before, during, and after Bacon’s Rebellion. Our government is almost or just as corrupt as it was back in Bacon’s time. In terms of personal experience though, I am still too young to have the government affect me on a larger scale. I can though relate the theme of politics to what I know about and see in them today. Often it seems that the government raises taxes and grants favors only to give themselves more money and help themselves in any way they deem fit. They do not seem to care that regular, hard working adults do just as much work as them for only a portion of the pay. Government and political officials work just as hard as regular people so I believe that they should get no special treatment or privileges. As the government becomes more and more corrupt, society seems to get worse and worse. People seem to have no respect for the laws nor do they seem to care. The government severely punishes people who commit little crimes but let people who commit large crimes off easy. Eventually people are going to get tired of all the problems and take matter into their own hands. At least I think that is what is going to happen.
As I said before, politics do not completely affect me just yet. In my school though, the political aspect is better by far. Like the government we are a democracy. Unlike the government though, we are not corrupt. Everyone in this school works just as hard as everyone else for equal reward. This of course differs from regular school which is run like a monarchy. The teachers told us what to do and that was it. We had no say in what went on in the school. As I get older, I see that politics begin to affect me more and become a more integral part of my life. As time goes on, the government and our politics are going to get worse. I hope that things start to turn for the better. I have a strong feeling though, that things are going to get a lot worse before they get any better.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
AoD #3
Lately, my grandparents have been having a lot of arguments. Almost everytime I see them, they are or end up fighting about something. These arguments do not last very long but they are very annoying. I have done this a few times, but late last week, I sat down with them and tried to figure out what the problems were and come up witha solution. My grandma's argument was that my grandpa constantly nags and complains about every little thing. My grandpa said that all my grandma ever does is yell at him and get upset. As they talked and argued, I did my best to keep the peace, and suprisingly, it worked for the most part. I suggested that maybe if my grandpa stopped complaining a bit perhaps my grandma would quit yelling and getting mad at him. This short session lasted only ten minutes or so but it resolved the problem a least for a while. This applies to Arts of Democracy because I sat down with my grandparent's and mediated between them while they tried to figure out, at best, a temporary solution. Instead of letting them continue on bickering, I tried to help solve the situation. I know that my grandparent's are getting older and therfore they are going to fight, but as their second oldest grandson, I feel it is my job to try and help them get along and not fight. I hope that the help I offered works so that there is no need to do it again.
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