How can Bacon's Rebellion Succeed, and What Happens if it Does?
- Thread starter Errnge
- Start date
Will Kürlich Kerl
Banned
I'm not sure people are that interested in this time period of American history. I asked the exact same question a few weeks ago, and didn't get much of an answer.
Grey Wolf
Donor
A small piece of advice would be to explain WHAT it was, WHEN it was, WHAT happened in response to it, WHAT you know that might have happened differently, and what YOU think
Otherwise you are demanding that people go and research all these things to answer a question they don't even know if they are interested in
I for one have no clue...Give me one!
Best Regards
Grey Wolf
Otherwise you are demanding that people go and research all these things to answer a question they don't even know if they are interested in
I for one have no clue...Give me one!
Best Regards
Grey Wolf
Going by Wikipedia (which I'm ashamed to say is all I know of Bacon's Rebellion), I wonder if the more interesting POD would involve the rebellion never being fought - for instance, if Governor Berkeley gives Bacon his damn commission and everything gets smoothed over. In that case, the reforms of the 1676 House of Burgesses would stand, including universal male suffrage, and the laws surrounding slaves and free blacks are not tightened. Maybe this would lead Virginia to develop into a yeoman society more like Pennsylvania rather than the aristocratic society of OTL, possibly even abolishing slavery at some point.
If the rebellion does break out, then - again according to Wikipedia - it appears that Bacon had influential backers and a sizable force for that place and time. The rebellion was defeated for three reasons: naval forces were on hand to help Berkeley, Bacon died of dysentery and left it without a leader, and the loyalists were able to trick many of the rebels into captivity. So let's say that the ships aren't there - or better yet, that a different ship is on hand, commanded by a buddy of one of Bacon's supporters. Instead of helping to suppress the rebellion, this ship takes Berkeley into exile (shades of the Rum Rebellion), and a populist government rules in Virginia for a while until the king appoints a new governor. Depending on how good a case Bacon's backers can make in London, they might be able to secure pardons for the rebels and even ratification of their acts. I don't know much more about the politics and players of the time, but a populist government with free blacks as an important constituency would seem to change Virginia beyond recognition.
If the rebellion does break out, then - again according to Wikipedia - it appears that Bacon had influential backers and a sizable force for that place and time. The rebellion was defeated for three reasons: naval forces were on hand to help Berkeley, Bacon died of dysentery and left it without a leader, and the loyalists were able to trick many of the rebels into captivity. So let's say that the ships aren't there - or better yet, that a different ship is on hand, commanded by a buddy of one of Bacon's supporters. Instead of helping to suppress the rebellion, this ship takes Berkeley into exile (shades of the Rum Rebellion), and a populist government rules in Virginia for a while until the king appoints a new governor. Depending on how good a case Bacon's backers can make in London, they might be able to secure pardons for the rebels and even ratification of their acts. I don't know much more about the politics and players of the time, but a populist government with free blacks as an important constituency would seem to change Virginia beyond recognition.
Well if you insist.
Bacon's Rebellion occurred in colonial Virginia in the year 1676, one hundred years before the American Revolution. It was the first colonial rebellion in North America against the English Crown.
Nathaniel Bacon, a local landowner and politician, asked the governor of Virginia for a commission to attack the Native American tribes raiding the frontier, but was not given such. So, Bacon decidedly formed a militia and ignored the governor Berkley, and led 500 men and attacked the wrong tribes. He came back to overthrow the government in favor of a more populist regime in Jamestown, then the capital of Virginia, and burned it to the ground.
The rebellion was quelled when he died of dysentery. English ships were nearby and helped subdue any pockets of rebellion left.
A VERY important aspect of Bacon's Rebellion is that it saw the alliance of white indentured servants and black slaves. It was after this rebellion that the traditional caste system associated with plantation agriculture in the south was instituted to prevent such unity again.
I have think this has HUGE ramifications for how the south turns out, and if it succeeds would completely alter race relations across the board
I agree. Fun little piece of trivia for ya, btw: I'm actually a direct descendant of one of the people who got caught up in the whole shenanigan(or, rather, his house got occupied by some of Bacon's Merry Men, as it were):
http://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/Allen_Arthur_1608-1669
http://preservationvirginia.org/visit/historic-properties/bacons-castle
It'd be nice to see somebody make a TL outta this, btw.....
This actually seems to be pretty plausible, TBH; it might not, sadly, quite butterfly the expansion of slavery in the next century, but it very well could make things a little easier for the abolition of such later on.
Can it succeed? Wouldn't England just send over more troops and crush it? I don't know if Bacon can succeed against them.
birdboy2000
Banned
A lot depends on what England does.
However, Bacon is not seeking independence from England, just a new government in Virginia. England coming to an accommodation with the victors in an intra-colonial conflict would not be unheard of - indeed, even OTL they recalled the governor who was the target of Bacon's ire. Or they might mediate the situation, resulting in a variety of reforms which satisfy immediate rebel grievances but put the lid on any too radical change.
From old and possibly faulty memory: Part of the League of Iroquois were raiding tribes like the Susquehanna who had traditionally been allies of Maryland and Virginia. Bacon reacted to the raids mostly by attacking and looting friendly tribes, and stripping the frontier of valuable Indian allies. Not a nice, or smart guy.
As to Bacon succeeding, that's difficult because the monarchy had recently been restored after Cromwell's reign, and wasn't in a position to take rebellion lightly. As I recall it, the monarchy sent a fairly substantial force, for the time, to crush the rebellion. It arrived after the fighting was over, but served a useful purpose from the monarchy's POV by signalling the New England colonies that defiance of the monarchy would not be tolerated.
New England was more threatening to the monarchy than Virginia because, while the New England colonies were not in open rebellion, they harbored Cromwell supporters, including the regicides--guys who had killed the current king's father during the English Civil War.
The monarchy never had to directly confront the New England colonies, because the New England colonies got embroiled in a huge and bitter Indian War (King Phillips War) that they won, but that nearly bankrupted them and because Charles II had demonstrated the will and ability to send overwhelming force to the New World.
I know that doesn't give you a scenario, but it does give some background. Maybe you can see a way around the problems.
As to Bacon succeeding, that's difficult because the monarchy had recently been restored after Cromwell's reign, and wasn't in a position to take rebellion lightly. As I recall it, the monarchy sent a fairly substantial force, for the time, to crush the rebellion. It arrived after the fighting was over, but served a useful purpose from the monarchy's POV by signalling the New England colonies that defiance of the monarchy would not be tolerated.
New England was more threatening to the monarchy than Virginia because, while the New England colonies were not in open rebellion, they harbored Cromwell supporters, including the regicides--guys who had killed the current king's father during the English Civil War.
The monarchy never had to directly confront the New England colonies, because the New England colonies got embroiled in a huge and bitter Indian War (King Phillips War) that they won, but that nearly bankrupted them and because Charles II had demonstrated the will and ability to send overwhelming force to the New World.
I know that doesn't give you a scenario, but it does give some background. Maybe you can see a way around the problems.