Old Virginia and Her Neighbours, Vol. 2 (of 2)
CHAPTER XI.
BACON’S REBELLION.
How the crude mediæval methods of robbery began to give place to more ingenious modern methods 45
The Navigation Act of 1651 45, 46
Second Navigation Act 46
John Bland’s remonstrance 47
Some direct consequences of the Navigation Act 47
Some indirect consequences of the Navigation Act 48
Bland’s exposure of the protectionist humbug 49, 50
His own proposition 50, 51
Effect of the Navigation Act upon Virginia and Maryland; disasters caused by low price of tobacco 51, 52
The Surry protest of 1673 52
The Arlington-Culpeper grant 53
Some of its effects 54
Character of Sir William Berkeley 55
Corruption and extortion under his government 56
The Long Assembly, 1661-1676 57
Berkeley’s violent temper 57
Beginning of the Indian war 58
Colonel John Washington 59
Affair of the five Susquehannock envoys 60
The killing of the envoys 61
Berkeley’s perverseness in not calling out a military force 62
Indian atrocities 62, 63
Nathaniel Bacon and his family 64
His friends William Drummond and Richard Lawrence 65
Bacon’s plantation is attacked by the Indians, May, 1676 65
Bacon marches against the Indians and defeats them 66
Election of a new House of Burgesses 66
Arrest of Bacon 67
He is released and goes to lodge at the house of “thoughtful Mr. Lawrence” 67
Bacon is persuaded to make his submission and apologizes to the governor 68, 69
In spite of the governor’s unwillingness, the new assembly reforms many abuses 70, 71
How the “Queen of Pamunkey” appeared before the House of Burgesses 72-74
The chairman’s rudeness 74
Bacon’s flight 74
His speedy return 75
How the governor was intimidated 76
Bacon crushes the Susquehannocks while Berkeley flies to Accomac and proclaims him a rebel 76
Bacon’s march to Middle Plantation 77
His manifesto 78
His arraignment of Berkeley; he specifies nineteen persons as “wicked counsellors” 80
Oath at Middle Plantation 81
Bacon defeats the Appomattox Indians 82
Startling conversation between Bacon and Goode 82-86
Perilous situation of Bacon 86
The “White Aprons” at Jamestown 87
Bacon’s speech at Green Spring 88
Burning of Jamestown 89
Persons who suffered at Bacon’s hands 89, 90
Bacon and his cousin 90
Death of Bacon, Oct. 1, 1676 91
Collapse of the rebellion 92
Arrival of royal commissioners, January, 1677 92
Berkeley’s outrageous conduct 93
Execution of Drummond 94
Death of Berkeley 95
Significance of the rebellion 96
How far Bacon represented popular sentiment in Virginia 97
Political changes since 1660; close vestries 98, 99
Restriction of the suffrage 100, 101
How the aristocrats regarded Bacon’s followers 102, 103
The real state of the case 104
Effect of hard times 104, 105
Populist aspect of the rebellion 106
Its sound aspects 106
Bacon must ever remain a bright and attractive figure 107