Today In History July 30,1676 Bacon's Rebellion

various | 7/30/10 | Nathaniel Bacon

[mdittmar]

In Virginia in 1676 Nathaniel Bacon led a rebellion. This is the manifesto of that effort. It expresses many of the reform objectives that would later be further developed and bring about the American Revolution.

Bacon's Declaration in the Name of the People

July 30,1676

The Declaration of the People.

1. For haveing upon specious pretences of publiqe works raised greate

   unjust taxes upon the Comonality for the advancement of private

   favorites and other sinister ends, but noe visible effects in any

   measure adequate, For not haveing dureing this long time of his

   Gouvernement in any measure advanced this hopefull Colony either by

   fortificacons Townes or Trade.

2. For haveing abused and rendred contemptable the Magistrates of

   Justice, by advanceing to places of Judicature, scandalous and Ignorant

   favorites.

3. For haveing wronged his Majesties prerogative and interest, by

   assumeing Monopoly of the Beaver trade, and for haveing in that unjust

   gaine betrayed and sold his Majesties Country and the lives of his

   loyall subjects, to the barbarous heathen.

4. For haveing, protected, favoured, and Imboldned the Indians against

   his Majesties loyall subjects, never contriveing, requireing, or

   appointing any due or proper meanes of sattisfaction for theire many

   Invasions, robbories, and murthers comitted upon us.

5. For haveing when the Army of English, was just upon the track of

   those Indians, who now in all places burne, spoyle, murther and when we

   might with ease have distroyed them: who then were in open hostillity,

   for then haveing expressly countermanded, and sent back our Army, by

   passing his word for the peaceable demeanour of the said Indians, who

   imediately prosecuted theire evill intentions, comitting horred murthers

   and robberies in all places, being protected by the said ingagement and

   word past of him the said Sir William Berkeley, haveing ruined and laid

   desolate a greate part of his Majesties Country, and have now drawne

   themselves into such obscure and remote places, and are by theire

   success soe imboldned and confirmed, by theire confederacy soe

   strengthned that the cryes of blood are in all places, and the terror,

   and constimation of the peOple soe greate, are now become, not onely a

   difficult, but a very formidable enimy, who might att first with ease

   have beene distroyed.

6. And lately when upon the loud outcryes of blood the Assembly had with

   all care raised and framed an Army for the preventing of further

   mischeife and safeguard of this his Majesties Colony.

7. For haveing with onely the privacy of some few favorites, without

   acquainting the people, onely by the alteracon of a figure, forged a

   Comission, by we know not what hand, not onely without, but even against

   the consent of the people, for the raiseing and effecting civill warr

   and distruction, which being happily and without blood shed prevented,

   for haveing the second time attempted the same, thereby calling downe

   our forces from the defence of the fronteeres and most weekely expoased

   places.

8. For the prevencon of civill mischeife and ruin amongst ourselves,

   whilst the barbarous enimy in all places did invade, murther and spoyle

   us, his majesties most faithfull subjects.

Of this and the aforesaid Articles we accuse Sir William Berkeley as

guilty of each and every one of the same, and as one who hath traiterously

attempted, violated and Injured his Majesties interest here, by a loss of

a greate part of this his Colony and many of his faithfull loyall

subjects, by him betrayed and in a barbarous and shamefull manner expoased

to the Incursions and murther of the heathen, And we doe further declare

these the ensueing persons in this list, to have beene his wicked and

pernicious councellours Confederates, aiders, and assisters against the

Comonality in these our Civill comotions.

Sir Henry Chichley         William Claiburne Junior

Lieut. Coll. Christopher Thomas Hawkins

Wormeley William Sherwood

Phillip Ludwell John Page Clerke

Robert Beverley John Cluffe Clerke

Richard Lee John West

Thomas Ballard Hubert Farrell

William Cole Thomas Reade

Richard Whitacre Matthew Kempe

Nicholas Spencer

Joseph Bridger

And we doe further demand that the said Sir William Berkeley with all

the persons in this list be forthwith delivered up or surrender themselves

within fower days after the notice hereof, Or otherwise we declare as

followeth.

That in whatsoever place, howse, or ship, any of the said persons shall

reside, be hidd, or protected, we declaire the owners, Masters or

Inhabitants of the said places, to be confederates and trayters to the

people and the estates of them is alsoe of all the aforesaid persons to be

confiscated, and this we the Comons of Virginia doe declare, desiering a

firme union amongst our selves that we may joyntly and with one accord

defend our selves against the common Enimy, and lett not the faults of the

guilty be the reproach of the inocent, or the faults or crimes of the

oppressours devide and separate us who have suffered by theire

oppressions.

These are therefore in his majesties name to command you forthwith to

seize the persons above mentioned as Trayters to the King and Country and

them to bring to Midle plantacon, and there to secure them untill further

order, and in case of opposition, if you want any further assistance you

are forthwith to demand itt in the name of the people in all the Counties

of Virginia.

Nathaniel Bacon

Generall by Consent of the people.

[mdittmar]

History is fascinating.

[steelyourfaith]

Fascinating indeed.

[mick]

history ping for later

[kanawa]

Yikes! Field day for FR spelling police.

[LonePalm]

It was written with MS Quill with ye olde spell chequer.

Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)

[SunkenCiv]

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[SirJohnBarleycorn]

It will not surprise anyone here to know that modern historians paint Bacon as the villain, potraying him as a militant coveting the land of the peaceful Native Americans, and the governing elites as merely trying to protect the Native Americans against the violent European colonists led by Bacon.

[Bigg Red]

It will not surprise anyone here to know that modern historians paint Bacon as the villain,....

&&&
Sad.

[Pharmboy]

Thanks for the post, mdittmar, and the ping, SunkenCiv; fascinating stuff.

Sir Nathaniel Bacon (half brother of Francis Bacon)

The RevWar/Colonial History/General Washington ping list...

[grey_whiskers]

Substitute Moose-limbs for Indians, and Drugs for Beaver, and I'd say it fits the current Administration to a T.

Cheers!

[ProtectOurFreedom]

And we doe further declare these the ensueing persons in this list, to have beene his wicked and pernicious councellours Confederates, aiders, and assisters against the Comonality in these our Civill comotions.

1. Van Jones
2. Eric Holder
3. Kevin Jennings
4. Donald Berwick
5. Richard Holbrooke
6. Jeffrey Crowley
7. Ed Montgomery
8. Alan Bersin
9. Carol Browner
10. ad infinitum, ad nauseum

[aculeus]

BTTT!

[rabidralph]

Just think how much more popular the TEA parties would be if they had only added “bacon” to their group’s title.

[Tanniker Smith]

Seriously, 14 posts before someone writes . . .


Mmmmmmmm, Ba-con! Uhhhhnnnnnnnn

[colorado tanker]

Wiki reports the legend of the King's reaction:

Governor Berkeley returned to power. He seized the property of several rebels for the colony and executed 23 men by hanging. After an investigative committee returned its report to King Charles II, Berkeley was relieved of the governorship, and recalled to England. Charles II was reported to have commented, "That old fool has put to death more people in that naked country than I did here for the murder of my father."

No record has been found of this quote and it may be a colonial myth.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks colorado tanker. That does ring a bell though.

[SunkenCiv]

;’)

[dfwgator]