Morgan’s view on Bacon’s Rebellion and events before and after it

Morgan asserts that slavery emerged in large degree in response to economic change in the Chesapeake. From 1607-1640 Morgan’s analysis of economic development and slavery were as follows: search for an export crop, “Tobacco Boom” of the 20’s, extreme sexual imbalance, high mortality rates and lack of social and institutional stabi

Ultimately Bailyn believed that there were three distinct shifts in the ruling elite of Virginia. Immigrant gentry were the leaders for only the first generation of Virginia’s history; once they left, members of rising planter class dawned their power. The second wave of leaders was made up of the “toughest and most fortunate surviving planters.” They didn’t really want to perform their civic duty and only remained in power for a generation. The immigrants of the 1660’s were the ones who would leave their imprint on Virginia’s history. Ambitious young sons of English landowners were the one’s to become the aristocracy of the colony. Bailyn argues that Bacon’s Rebellion was a challenge to this third wave of leaders. It was the way that the lower class demonstrated their contempt for the newly acquired superior ruling class.

More men were present than women. These were usually young, single men who came over as indentured servants to work in tobacco fields. It was a frontier society that was unstable, difficult to control, and with little resemblance to the Old World they left behind.

A group of planters emerged during the first generation of settlement, these were known as the “big men of Virginia”. The wealth accumulated was inherited wealth, usually through women (widows), who outlived the men.

Bacon who was new to the colony and wanted to make a name for himself argued that Berkeley should send out the military expedition to help the colonists. Berkeley refused. Bacon then took over temporary control of the colony and drove Berkeley out of Virginia. Berkeley returned, and Bacon died from disease before the two ever could do battle, so this ended the rebellion. Berkeley cleaned up the mess of the rebellion and regained control of the colonial government.

By reading and contrasting both readings it’s very interesting to see the two views about the rebellion. Morgan dealt with the economic and social situation both before and after Bacon’s Rebellion, while Bailyn chose to delve deep into the political aspect and the reaction the rebellion had on that.

With regard Bernard Bailyn’s essay on Bacon’s Rebellion, he believed that the rebellion itself ushered in a new social structure in Virginia. A new ruling elite that consisted of extremely wealthy land owners. Ushering in the times of the Glorious Revolutions it appeared that every colony was directly or indirectly affected by the rebellions.

Some topics in this essay:
Bacon’s Rebellion, Unlike World, Utie Matthews, Glorious Revolutions, Virginia Immigrant, House Burgesses, Edmund Morgan’s, Berkeley Indian, Rebellion Bailyn, Virginia Berkeley, bacon’s rebellion, indentured servants, freed servants, source labor, rebellion events, social political, bacon’s rebellion events, lower class, virginia’s history, view bacon’s, views rebellion, view bacon’s rebellion, bacon died disease, social political implications,