Bacon's Rebellion in the late 17th century was a turning point in Colonial America, highlighting class disparities and economic struggles. The conflict, led by Nathaniel Bacon, arose from tensions between landless settlers and the colonial elite, and resulted in a shift from indentured servitude to racial slavery. This event underscored the complex interplay of class conflict, racial policy, and the pursuit of power, leaving a lasting impact on the labor landscape and social hierarchy in the colonies.
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Young men from England were driven to Colonial America by the enclosure movement which privatized common village lands
Allure of Land Ownership
The allure of land ownership in the New World led to a rapidly growing population of landowners
Land Distribution
Land distribution was heavily favored towards the wealthy elite, causing tension with economically disadvantaged farmers
The influx of settlers led to a rapidly growing population in Colonial America
The economy of the colonies, particularly in Virginia and Maryland, was heavily reliant on tobacco cultivation, which was subject to fluctuating prices and an oversaturated European market
The British Navigation Acts, which restricted trade and imposed heavy duties, further strained the colonial economy
Poor tenant farmers and recently freed indentured servants struggled to secure land, tools, and seeds, often resorting to servitude or low-paying jobs on larger plantations
A powerful class of planter-merchants emerged in the Virginia and Maryland colonies, consolidating wealth through expansive estates and commercial enterprises
The elite relied heavily on the labor of tenants, indentured servants, and enslaved Africans
The wealthy elite held disproportionate influence in the colonial government, exacerbating tensions with the economically disadvantaged
Social and economic pressures, as well as conflicts with Indigenous peoples, led to the armed rebellion in Virginia
Nathaniel Bacon, a member of the governor's council, rallied disaffected farmers to attack Indigenous settlements and defy the colonial government
Bacon's Rebellion resulted in a shift towards African slave labor and the codification of racial slavery, significantly altering the labor landscape in the colonies
00
In the late 1600s, Colonial America saw a surge of ______, mainly young males from ______, due to the privatization of communal lands.
settlers
England
01
______'s Rebellion was an insurrection from 1675-1676 by ______ against the colonial government of ______.
Bacon's
Nathaniel Bacon
Virginia
02
Primary crop in Virginia and Maryland economies
Tobacco cultivation was the mainstay of Virginia and Maryland's economies.
