The issues of the Stamp Act can be considered very controversial. Many people believed different things and had different reasons for their beliefs. Some people thought the Stamp Act was a terrible idea because they would be charged more on basically everything that had a stamp on it. Most of the people that didn't agree with it were the people that had to pay the taxes, but those who weren't charged with the taxes didn't really care about the Stamp Act.
Personally, I think the Stamp Act was a good idea. It would help pay off some of the debt that the colonies had built up over the years. Because the Stamp Act applied to many of the things that people use on a regular basis, the debt would be paid off quickly because a lot of money would be coming in fast resulting in less debt owed to England. The Stamp Act should have made the colonists happy because it would lead to them not being financially bonded to England after a while, meaning they would be closer to their freedom from the mainland. The colonists shouldn't have been so against the idea of taxes because in the end they really benefited from them.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
10/30 Text Analysis-Letter from the New York Committee of Fifty-one to the Boston Committee of Correspondence; May 23, 1774
Letter from the New York Committee of Fifty-one to the Boston Committee of Correspondence; May 23, 1774:
Who is writing?
Members of the New York Committee of Fifty-one are writing.
Who is the audience?
The audience is the members of the Boston Committee of Correspondence.
Who do the writers represent?
The writers represent the people of New York.
What is being said, argued and/or requested?
The New York Committee is saying how sorry they are for the harsh treatment that the people of Boston received during their 'lockdown'. They also inform them of their plan to form a committee with representatives from all of the colonies and request their opinion on the idea. They also inform them of their goal to maintain their common rights. The New York committee also presented their dream of American freedom for the future.
How is it being said, argued and/or requested?
The document is apologetic towards the Boston Committee because of all that they went through. Also, the message is being said with meaning but the New York Committee wasn't being forceful in any way, so it was polite.
What proof and/or justification is being used to legitimize the request?
This document is legitimate because it is persuasive and has all the colonies best interest in mind. It is also written in the first person so it is pretty obvious that some one or a few people of the New York Committee actually wrote it to the Boston Committee.
Who is writing?
Members of the New York Committee of Fifty-one are writing.
Who is the audience?
The audience is the members of the Boston Committee of Correspondence.
Who do the writers represent?
The writers represent the people of New York.
What is being said, argued and/or requested?
The New York Committee is saying how sorry they are for the harsh treatment that the people of Boston received during their 'lockdown'. They also inform them of their plan to form a committee with representatives from all of the colonies and request their opinion on the idea. They also inform them of their goal to maintain their common rights. The New York committee also presented their dream of American freedom for the future.
How is it being said, argued and/or requested?
The document is apologetic towards the Boston Committee because of all that they went through. Also, the message is being said with meaning but the New York Committee wasn't being forceful in any way, so it was polite.
What proof and/or justification is being used to legitimize the request?
This document is legitimate because it is persuasive and has all the colonies best interest in mind. It is also written in the first person so it is pretty obvious that some one or a few people of the New York Committee actually wrote it to the Boston Committee.
Text Analysis summaries
Circular Letter of the Boston Committee of Correspondence; May 13, 1774:
This document talks about the harsh treatment that the town of Boston received that was completely cruel and unjust. They were only provided with enough to make them survive through the cold and not starve to death. The Boston port was entirely shut down so no one could leave or come into the port to bring them goods or somethings they may have needed to remain healthy through the hard times. This lockdown encouraged the individual colonies to unite and go against Britains goal to keep the colonies divided. Trade with Britain was suspended while deciding what to do. This was a sacrifice for liberty and the chance to become an independent nation, apart from Britain.
Letter from the New York Committee of Fifty-One to the Boston Committee of Correspondence; May 23, 1774:
This document is from the New York Committee to the Boston Committee apologizing for their misfortunes. The New York Committee tells the Boston Committee about their committee of 51 people and how they just had their first meeting. They request Boston's opinion on the committee and wonder if they wouldn't be interested in joining them at one of their future meetings. New York thinks they need to be aware of whats going on to be sure to secure their common rights. If they don't pay attention, soon enough Britain will not allow them to do anything they want to.
Declaration and Resolves of the First Continental Congress; October 14, 1774:
This document is about the First Continental Congress. All colonies were asked to select representatives that would represent each colony well. They all met in Philadephia to discuss plans for the near future. They made several resolves which would benefit the colonies. Some of those resolves included keeping an army ready for battle, being entitled to life, liberty, and property, and that the colonies are entitled to the common law of England.
This document talks about the harsh treatment that the town of Boston received that was completely cruel and unjust. They were only provided with enough to make them survive through the cold and not starve to death. The Boston port was entirely shut down so no one could leave or come into the port to bring them goods or somethings they may have needed to remain healthy through the hard times. This lockdown encouraged the individual colonies to unite and go against Britains goal to keep the colonies divided. Trade with Britain was suspended while deciding what to do. This was a sacrifice for liberty and the chance to become an independent nation, apart from Britain.
Letter from the New York Committee of Fifty-One to the Boston Committee of Correspondence; May 23, 1774:
This document is from the New York Committee to the Boston Committee apologizing for their misfortunes. The New York Committee tells the Boston Committee about their committee of 51 people and how they just had their first meeting. They request Boston's opinion on the committee and wonder if they wouldn't be interested in joining them at one of their future meetings. New York thinks they need to be aware of whats going on to be sure to secure their common rights. If they don't pay attention, soon enough Britain will not allow them to do anything they want to.
Declaration and Resolves of the First Continental Congress; October 14, 1774:
This document is about the First Continental Congress. All colonies were asked to select representatives that would represent each colony well. They all met in Philadephia to discuss plans for the near future. They made several resolves which would benefit the colonies. Some of those resolves included keeping an army ready for battle, being entitled to life, liberty, and property, and that the colonies are entitled to the common law of England.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Essay #1 Reflection
When first starting this essay I wasn't completely clear on the assignment. I knew it was an essay but I didn't really understand the structure that was to be presented. Once the class got started on the actual process of constructing their essays, I started to understand more of what was being asked. When we got started I realized this would be a rather important essay for the class I knew it was one of few that would probably majorly affect my grade. Just choosing a topic was difficult for me because there were so many to choose from. The class brainstormed a few common main ideas that people could use. I then decided to use the topic of hero or villain, bacon or berkeley. The usual topic that is chosen from this idea is that Bacon is the hero, But I decided to go in the other direction and portray Berkeley as the hero because he seemed more like the hero in my mind. Once I had my main idea I had to write a thesis that was straight to the point and a statement from my head. It took me a couple times to get a good thesis because I wasn't putting my opinion into it at first. After the thesis was the outline. This seemed like the easiest step of the essay for me. It pulled together the main ideas that connected to the thesis and then I added quotes and facts to those ideas. Once I had a good outline I started my first rough draft. This included the body of my essay and my thesis. I integrated some quotes but needed to find more so I went back to my documents and found more that connected to my topic. I believe I wrote four rough drafts before I edited it to become my final. Throughout the drafts I added more and more details, quotes and my opinions, to support my main ideas. Editing was an easy process for me. I believe my final draft shows my ability to write an intellectual and interesting essay. I think this essay is one of my best essays because this process seemed a lot more organized, helpful and informational than in my high school english and history classes.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Rhetorical Analysis for Bacon's Rebellion
Title: Sir William Berkeley and the Forging of Colonial Virginia
Author: Warren M. Billings
Audience: Anyone interested in learning about Colonial Virginia, Bacon's Rebellion, and William Berkeley.
Tone: The author's tone is informative because the book is full of information for the reader to learn and use for themselves in some way. There are dozens of interesting facts throughout the pages and this book was very useful.
Purpose: The purpose of this book was to inform the readers about Bacon's Rebellion and how Berkeley relates to everything that happened in Virginia throughout the Rebellion.
Ethos: This book is credible or believable because it has many facts that I have seen in multiple other documents. This shows that everyone knows the same details so they must be true facts. It is also very detailed and shows the readers many new things that weren't found in other documents.
Pathos: The emotion in this book was boring. The author didn't include stupid little phrases to make the reader laugh. He stayed serious with his writing because he probably wanted it to come across as a formal piece. It was also not very entertaining because it was just a lot of facts that were important to Bacon's Rebellion but not interesting to read about with no real emotion present in the writing.
Logos: This document gives support to how William Berkeley was a better man than Nathanial Bacon. It gives a lot of details and facts that prove that Berkeley wasn't the villain to the colonists and really in the end he helped Virginia.
Author: Warren M. Billings
Audience: Anyone interested in learning about Colonial Virginia, Bacon's Rebellion, and William Berkeley.
Tone: The author's tone is informative because the book is full of information for the reader to learn and use for themselves in some way. There are dozens of interesting facts throughout the pages and this book was very useful.
Purpose: The purpose of this book was to inform the readers about Bacon's Rebellion and how Berkeley relates to everything that happened in Virginia throughout the Rebellion.
Ethos: This book is credible or believable because it has many facts that I have seen in multiple other documents. This shows that everyone knows the same details so they must be true facts. It is also very detailed and shows the readers many new things that weren't found in other documents.
Pathos: The emotion in this book was boring. The author didn't include stupid little phrases to make the reader laugh. He stayed serious with his writing because he probably wanted it to come across as a formal piece. It was also not very entertaining because it was just a lot of facts that were important to Bacon's Rebellion but not interesting to read about with no real emotion present in the writing.
Logos: This document gives support to how William Berkeley was a better man than Nathanial Bacon. It gives a lot of details and facts that prove that Berkeley wasn't the villain to the colonists and really in the end he helped Virginia.
Bacon's Rebellion Essay: Final Draft
In history, heroes are most commonly considered the protagonists of stories, while the villains and enemies are the antagonists. But in some stories this is not the case. Take for example, Adolf Hitler. He was probably the worst villain of all time and in the story of the Holocaust, he appears to be the protagonists because everyone was more concerned about him that the people that were trying to stop the Holocaust. He was the one person that everyone kept their eye on and wanted exterminated. Also, in the Spider-man trilogy, Peter Parker, Spider-man, starts out as the courageous hero of New York City in the first two movies. But in the third and final movie, he becomes a villainous snake to the community. Sometimes the expected hero in the beginning of a story doesn’t turn out to be the hero in the end. This is also true in the case of Bacon’s rebellion. The people thought Nathanial Bacon would be the hero that would help them defend themselves and take their land back from the Natives, but he was truly evil and was only interested in helping them to take their land for himself. So in the case of Bacon’s Rebellion, the villain got more attention than the hero like Hitler did during the Holocaust, thus making Bacon the villain and the main character or protagonist. Berkeley on the other hand was in the right and was still placed as the antagonist. In the classic interpretation of Bacon’s Rebellion people considered Nathanial Bacon to be the hero, but truly, Berkeley was the hero throughout Bacon’s Rebellion while Bacon was the rebel villain of Virginia.
Sir William Berkeley was the governor of the colony of Virginia in 1676. He was sent to the New World by the King of England to make sure the colonists stayed in line and under control of the King. Berkeley enforced many laws that were unknown to the colonists before Berkeley arrived. The middle and upper classes did not really have a problem with his new laws but the lower class and poor farmers were seriously disturbed by the new rules that the governor had put in place. The governor was aware that the Natives were invading and taking land from the colonists but did not decide to do anything about it. This may have been because he figured that the Natives were there first so they deserved the land over the colonists. Or he may have just thought nothing could be done about it because the Natives were savage beings that could probably overtake their entire town in a small period of time. One middle class citizen of Virginia was strongly against the government and their new plan for the colony, his name was Nathanial Bacon. Bacon decided to step up to the job and do something to try and help the poorer colonists that would not be able to survive the Native invasions and the new laws that Berkeley had put into action that stated that they could not invade the Native lands. He was a rebel and truly hated the governmental system. He went against everything that was supposed to be solid law in Virginia. So Bacon, being the law-breaking citizen that he was, decided to start a rebellion. “He gathered his militia [of poor colonists who disagreed with Berkeley] and began raiding the Indians [to attempt to get their land back]” (Zinn, p. 38). From that point on Bacon was considered a “traitor” and a “rebel”.
First, Bacon asked the government to provide him commission to help aid his army against the Native, but Berkeley would not agree to help him get rid of the Native Americans because he was a governor that stuck to his oath to keep the colonists under his control. This showed great leadership skills and the ability to do what seemed wrong at the time, but what was truly right in the end. Since Berkeley would not supply Bacon with commission, Bacon demanded "forced commission [which] was delivered to [him]" (document #29) with no questions asked after he had decide to raid the town and burn down multiple buildings and homes. He was very rude and forceful with his demands and didn't stop until he got what he wanted. Many colonists and people involved in the government considered Bacon to be a traitor because he went against the laws that were enforced by the government and he was doing everything he could to not obey the laws. Bacon was arrested for his foul behavior and failure to abide by the laws. Bacon was a proud rebel and did not care what others thought of him.
Berkeley made the right choice when he "sent [a letter] to the King for two thousand Redcoats" (document #39). He may have thought it shameful to have to write to the King for back-up soldiers to be sent to the New World to help him and his people defend themselves against the Natives and one of their own people, but it was in his best interest to save the colony and defeat Bacon. Bacon on the other hand, could not handle being unsuccessful. No matter what the situation, he found some way to blame his failures on others. He even tried to blame God for his wrong-doings. He said "God so infected his blood that it bred Lice in an incredible number so that for twenty days he never washed his shirts but burned them" (document #44). It was not God's fault that he could not succeed with his 'brilliant' plans to get rid of the Native Americans so that they would stop stealing land from the colonists. He should not have been such a coward, and should have taken the blame for his actions. Many colonists thought that they had “found a leader in Nathanial Bacon” (Zinn, p. 37) and that he was there to help them prevent the Natives from taking more of their land but really he was just "interested in destroying the Indians so he could claim their land [for himself]" (Washburn's book, p. 105). The colonists could not see through Bacon’s act of lies because he seemed sincere and willing to help them with their problems like getting their land back. They just thought he was a man who was willing to help others live their lives the way they wanted to, but they were incredibly wrong. Bacon was selfish and immature. Helping the colonists get their land back and then taking it from them for himself would be like ‘stabbing them in the back’ just to get what he wanted. He never truly cared about helping the poor colonists get their land back and improve the way they lived their lives. With this, it is clear that Bacon was not who he displayed himself to be, therefore making him a villain to the colonists.
Nathanial Bacon’s decision to use violent methods to solve his problems in a way connects to the Arts of Democracy class that is taught to students at PSEC. Basically, violence is not always the answer. Bacon did not have to resort to starting a rebellion right after the government would not grant him the commission he asked for. There were many other ways Bacon could have gone about getting what he wanted accomplished without having to create unnecessary violence. One way would have been to go to the government and propose an amendment to the laws. This would not guarantee the results Bacon was hoping for, but it would have saved numerous amounts of innocent bloodshed. This choice may have also elongated the amount of time Bacon would have to wait to get results but still a long period of time is better than a large amount of innocent colonists and Natives being killed. Another way Bacon could have gone about this issue would have been to try to create a negotiation with the Natives. They could have come to some sort of agreement so that the Natives would not kill innocent colonists and the colonists would not lose any of their land that they had worked so hard to receive in the first place. It may have been a struggle because they did not speak the same languages but it would have been worth it in the end if Bacon could have figured out some way to communicate his ideas across to the Natives without having to use violence. But of course Bacon went with the violent method and sent “his men [to] surround the statehouse, and threaten to shoot several on looking Burgesses if Bacon was not given his commission [and soon after the violent raid] Berkeley gave in to Bacon's demands for campaigns against the Indians without government interference” (Bacon’s Rebellion, globalsecurity.org).
Bacon was without a doubt the villain in this historical happening. He was a traitor to his own followers and he went against everything the government had put into action. He did everything he was told not to do and just did not listen to anyone but his own conscience. Just because he was upset with the government decisions that were made, does not mean he had to start a violent rebellion that caused multiple deaths among the colonists and Natives. There were many other ways he could have gotten his opinions out in the open. He could have gone directly to the governor or someone close to him and asked to make some revisions to the laws and they may have taken them into consideration. But, starting a rebellion without trying another method of changing things was just plain stupid. Nathanial Bacon was a failure and deserved to “[fall] sick and [die] at the age of twenty-nine” (Zinn, p.38). Berkeley was the clear and obvious hero of this event. He helped the Indians keep their land, he got rid of the violent Nathanial Bacon, and he kept the colony under control. He was a skilled man and knew what he was doing. He was willing to admit he needed help and called in back-up soldiers himself. Honestly, Berkeley seemed like a very genuine man who only had the peoples' best interest in mind. Even though the poorer people may have suffered more because of his decisions as governor, the colony overall resulted in a better community.
Bacon’s Rebellion was a completely unnecessary event that only happened because one selfish colonist had to have what he wanted. This colonist was Nathanial Bacon. He was one of the first colonists to go against the Virginian government. He caused a monumental amount of trouble for Virginians and did not really care who he hurt as long as the result benefited him. Bacon only did the things he did to help himself become more successful and happy in life. He thought he was better and smarter than all others but really “[was] a person of little experience and but of two years [residence] in the country, thinking himself wiser than the law” (document #15). Governor Berkeley was the hero that stepped up and saved the colony of Virginia. Berkeley was “a good and just man” (Sir William Berkeley and the forging of colonial Virginia, Warren M. Billings) and the right man for the job of Governor of Virginia. “Bacon’s Rebellion was the most troublesome incident Berkeley ever faced” (Sir William Berkeley and the forging of colonial Virginia, Warren M. Billings) and he handled it with his knowledge and dignity. He did what he had to and kept his people safe through a dark time and brought them back into the light as a prosperous colony.
Works Cited:
-"A Young People's History of the United States" by Howard Zinn
-44 documents provided in class
-"A Note on Historical Interpretation" (Washburn's book) by Leon J. Goldstein
-"Bacon's Rebellion" http://www.globalsecurity.org/
-"Sir William Berkeley and the Forging of colonial Virginia" by Warren M. Billings
Sir William Berkeley was the governor of the colony of Virginia in 1676. He was sent to the New World by the King of England to make sure the colonists stayed in line and under control of the King. Berkeley enforced many laws that were unknown to the colonists before Berkeley arrived. The middle and upper classes did not really have a problem with his new laws but the lower class and poor farmers were seriously disturbed by the new rules that the governor had put in place. The governor was aware that the Natives were invading and taking land from the colonists but did not decide to do anything about it. This may have been because he figured that the Natives were there first so they deserved the land over the colonists. Or he may have just thought nothing could be done about it because the Natives were savage beings that could probably overtake their entire town in a small period of time. One middle class citizen of Virginia was strongly against the government and their new plan for the colony, his name was Nathanial Bacon. Bacon decided to step up to the job and do something to try and help the poorer colonists that would not be able to survive the Native invasions and the new laws that Berkeley had put into action that stated that they could not invade the Native lands. He was a rebel and truly hated the governmental system. He went against everything that was supposed to be solid law in Virginia. So Bacon, being the law-breaking citizen that he was, decided to start a rebellion. “He gathered his militia [of poor colonists who disagreed with Berkeley] and began raiding the Indians [to attempt to get their land back]” (Zinn, p. 38). From that point on Bacon was considered a “traitor” and a “rebel”.
First, Bacon asked the government to provide him commission to help aid his army against the Native, but Berkeley would not agree to help him get rid of the Native Americans because he was a governor that stuck to his oath to keep the colonists under his control. This showed great leadership skills and the ability to do what seemed wrong at the time, but what was truly right in the end. Since Berkeley would not supply Bacon with commission, Bacon demanded "forced commission [which] was delivered to [him]" (document #29) with no questions asked after he had decide to raid the town and burn down multiple buildings and homes. He was very rude and forceful with his demands and didn't stop until he got what he wanted. Many colonists and people involved in the government considered Bacon to be a traitor because he went against the laws that were enforced by the government and he was doing everything he could to not obey the laws. Bacon was arrested for his foul behavior and failure to abide by the laws. Bacon was a proud rebel and did not care what others thought of him.
Berkeley made the right choice when he "sent [a letter] to the King for two thousand Redcoats" (document #39). He may have thought it shameful to have to write to the King for back-up soldiers to be sent to the New World to help him and his people defend themselves against the Natives and one of their own people, but it was in his best interest to save the colony and defeat Bacon. Bacon on the other hand, could not handle being unsuccessful. No matter what the situation, he found some way to blame his failures on others. He even tried to blame God for his wrong-doings. He said "God so infected his blood that it bred Lice in an incredible number so that for twenty days he never washed his shirts but burned them" (document #44). It was not God's fault that he could not succeed with his 'brilliant' plans to get rid of the Native Americans so that they would stop stealing land from the colonists. He should not have been such a coward, and should have taken the blame for his actions. Many colonists thought that they had “found a leader in Nathanial Bacon” (Zinn, p. 37) and that he was there to help them prevent the Natives from taking more of their land but really he was just "interested in destroying the Indians so he could claim their land [for himself]" (Washburn's book, p. 105). The colonists could not see through Bacon’s act of lies because he seemed sincere and willing to help them with their problems like getting their land back. They just thought he was a man who was willing to help others live their lives the way they wanted to, but they were incredibly wrong. Bacon was selfish and immature. Helping the colonists get their land back and then taking it from them for himself would be like ‘stabbing them in the back’ just to get what he wanted. He never truly cared about helping the poor colonists get their land back and improve the way they lived their lives. With this, it is clear that Bacon was not who he displayed himself to be, therefore making him a villain to the colonists.
Nathanial Bacon’s decision to use violent methods to solve his problems in a way connects to the Arts of Democracy class that is taught to students at PSEC. Basically, violence is not always the answer. Bacon did not have to resort to starting a rebellion right after the government would not grant him the commission he asked for. There were many other ways Bacon could have gone about getting what he wanted accomplished without having to create unnecessary violence. One way would have been to go to the government and propose an amendment to the laws. This would not guarantee the results Bacon was hoping for, but it would have saved numerous amounts of innocent bloodshed. This choice may have also elongated the amount of time Bacon would have to wait to get results but still a long period of time is better than a large amount of innocent colonists and Natives being killed. Another way Bacon could have gone about this issue would have been to try to create a negotiation with the Natives. They could have come to some sort of agreement so that the Natives would not kill innocent colonists and the colonists would not lose any of their land that they had worked so hard to receive in the first place. It may have been a struggle because they did not speak the same languages but it would have been worth it in the end if Bacon could have figured out some way to communicate his ideas across to the Natives without having to use violence. But of course Bacon went with the violent method and sent “his men [to] surround the statehouse, and threaten to shoot several on looking Burgesses if Bacon was not given his commission [and soon after the violent raid] Berkeley gave in to Bacon's demands for campaigns against the Indians without government interference” (Bacon’s Rebellion, globalsecurity.org).
Bacon was without a doubt the villain in this historical happening. He was a traitor to his own followers and he went against everything the government had put into action. He did everything he was told not to do and just did not listen to anyone but his own conscience. Just because he was upset with the government decisions that were made, does not mean he had to start a violent rebellion that caused multiple deaths among the colonists and Natives. There were many other ways he could have gotten his opinions out in the open. He could have gone directly to the governor or someone close to him and asked to make some revisions to the laws and they may have taken them into consideration. But, starting a rebellion without trying another method of changing things was just plain stupid. Nathanial Bacon was a failure and deserved to “[fall] sick and [die] at the age of twenty-nine” (Zinn, p.38). Berkeley was the clear and obvious hero of this event. He helped the Indians keep their land, he got rid of the violent Nathanial Bacon, and he kept the colony under control. He was a skilled man and knew what he was doing. He was willing to admit he needed help and called in back-up soldiers himself. Honestly, Berkeley seemed like a very genuine man who only had the peoples' best interest in mind. Even though the poorer people may have suffered more because of his decisions as governor, the colony overall resulted in a better community.
Bacon’s Rebellion was a completely unnecessary event that only happened because one selfish colonist had to have what he wanted. This colonist was Nathanial Bacon. He was one of the first colonists to go against the Virginian government. He caused a monumental amount of trouble for Virginians and did not really care who he hurt as long as the result benefited him. Bacon only did the things he did to help himself become more successful and happy in life. He thought he was better and smarter than all others but really “[was] a person of little experience and but of two years [residence] in the country, thinking himself wiser than the law” (document #15). Governor Berkeley was the hero that stepped up and saved the colony of Virginia. Berkeley was “a good and just man” (Sir William Berkeley and the forging of colonial Virginia, Warren M. Billings) and the right man for the job of Governor of Virginia. “Bacon’s Rebellion was the most troublesome incident Berkeley ever faced” (Sir William Berkeley and the forging of colonial Virginia, Warren M. Billings) and he handled it with his knowledge and dignity. He did what he had to and kept his people safe through a dark time and brought them back into the light as a prosperous colony.
Works Cited:
-"A Young People's History of the United States" by Howard Zinn
-44 documents provided in class
-"A Note on Historical Interpretation" (Washburn's book) by Leon J. Goldstein
-"Bacon's Rebellion" http://www.globalsecurity.org/
-"Sir William Berkeley and the Forging of colonial Virginia" by Warren M. Billings
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
essay rough draft #3
The events of Bacon’s Rebellion have led many people to have different views and opinions on what really happened. For example, some may think one thing while others think the complete opposite. One issue that many people are biased over is the decision to name Bacon the hero or if Berkeley should be called the hero. More often people lean towards Bacon as the hero. But Bacon did so many things to disrupt the colony of Virginia that he does not really fit the title of a ‘hero’. Berkeley however, did everything he could to keep the colony under control and with that, Berkeley was the hero throughout Bacon's Rebellion while Bacon was the rebel villain of Virginia.
Sir William Berkeley was the governor of the colony of Virginia in 1676. He was sent to the New World by the King of England to make sure the colonists stayed in line and under control of the King. Berkeley enforced many laws that were unknown to the colonists before Berkeley arrived. The middle and upper classes did not really have a problem with his new laws but the lower class and poor farmers were seriously disturbed by these new rules that the governor had put in place. The governor was aware that the Natives were invading and taking land from the colonists but did not decide to do anything about it. This may have been because he figured that the Natives were here first so they deserved the land over the colonists or he just did not think anything could be done about it because the Natives were savage beings that could probably overtake their entire town in a small period of time. One middle class citizen of Virginia was strongly against the government and their new plan for the colony, his name was Nathanial Bacon. Bacon decided to step up to the job and did something to try and help the poorer colonists that would not be able to survive the Native invasions and the new laws that Berkeley had put into action that stated that they could not invade the Native lands. He was a rebel and truly hated the governmental system. He went against everything that was supposed to be solid law in Virginia. So, Bacon being the law-breaking citizen that he was decided to start a rebellion. “He gathered his militia [of poor colonists who disagreed with Berkeley] and began raiding the Indians [to attempt to get their land back]” (Zinn, p. 38). From that point on Bacon was considered a “traitor” and a “rebel”.
First, Bacon asked the government to provide him commission to help aid his army against the Natives, but Berkeley would not agree to help him get rid of the Native Americans because he was a governor that stuck to his oath to keep the colonists under his control. This showed great leadership skills and the ability to do what seemed wrong at the time, but what was truly right in the end. Since Berkeley would not supply Bacon with commission, Bacon demanded "forced commission [which] was delivered to [him]" (document #29) with no questions asked after he had decide to raid the town and burn down multiple buildings and homes. He was very rude and forceful with his demands and didn't stop until he got what he wanted. Many colonists and people involved in the government considered Bacon to be a traitor because he went against the laws that were enforced by the government and he was doing everything he could to not obey the laws. Bacon was arrested for his foul behavior and failure to abide by the laws. Bacon was a proud rebel and did not care what others thought of him.
This in a way connects to the Arts of Democracy class that is taught to students at PSEC. Basically, violence is not always the answer. Bacon did not have to resort to starting a rebellion right after the government would not grant him the commission he asked for. There were many other ways Bacon could have gone about getting what he wanted accomplished without having to create unnecessary violence. One way would have been to go to the government and propose an amendment to the laws. This would not guarantee the results Bacon was hoping for but it would have saved numerous amounts of innocent bloodshed. This choice may have also elongated the amount of time Bacon would have to wait to get results but still a long period of time is better than a large amount of innocent colonists and Natives being killed. Another way Bacon could have gone about this issue would have been to try to create a negotiation with the Natives. They could have come to some sort of agreement so that the Natives would not kill innocent colonists and the colonists would not lose any of their land that they had worked so hard to receive in the first place. It may have been a struggle because they did not speak the same languages but it would have been worth it in the end if Bacon could have figured out some way to communicate his ideas across to the Natives without having to use violence. But of course Bacon went with the violent method and sent “his men [to] surround the statehouse, and threaten to shoot several on looking Burgesses if Bacon was not given his commission [and soon after the violent raid] Berkeley gave in to Bacon's demands for campaigns against the Indians without government interference” (Bacon’s Rebellion, globalsecurity.org).
Berkeley made the right choice when he "sent [a letter] to the King for two thousand Redcoats" (document #39). He may have thought it shameful to have to write to the King for back-up soldiers to help him and his people defend themselves against the Natives and one of their own people, but it was in his best interest to save the colony and defeat Bacon. Bacon on the other hand could not handle being unsuccessful. No matter the situation, he found some way to blame his failures on others. He even tried to blame God for his wrong-doings. He said "God so infected his blood that it bred Lice in an incredible number so that for twenty days he never washed his shirts but burned them" (document #44). It was not God's fault that he could not succeed with his 'brilliant' plans to get rid of the Native Americans so that they would stop stealing land from the colonists. He should not have been such a coward, and should have taken the blame for his actions. Many colonists thought that they had “found a leader in Nathanial Bacon” (Zinn, p. 37) and that he was there to help them prevent the Natives from taking more of their land but really he was just "interested in destroying the Indians so he could claim their land [for himself]" (Washburn's book, p. 105). The colonists could not see through Bacon’s act of lies because he seemed sincere and willing to help them with their problems and get their land back. They just thought he was a man who was willing to help others live their lives the way they wanted to, but they were incredibly wrong. Bacon was selfish and immature. Helping the colonists get their land back and then taking it from them for himself would be like ‘stabbing them in the back’ just to get what he wanted. He never truly cared about helping the poor colonists get their land back and improve the way they lived their lives. With this, it is clear that Bacon was not who he displayed himself to be, therefore making him a villain to the colonists.
Bacon was without a doubt the villain in this historical happening. He was a traitor to his own followers and he went against everything the government had put into action. He did everything he was told not to do and just did not listen to anyone but his own conscience. Just because he was upset with the governmental decisions that were made, does not mean he had to start a violent rebellion that caused multiple deaths among the colonists and the Natives. There were many other ways he could have gotten his opinions out in the open. He could have gone directly to the governor or someone close to him and asked to make some revisions to the laws and they may have taken them into consideration. But, starting a rebellion without trying another method of changing things was just plain stupid. Nathanial Bacon was a failure and deserved to “[fall] sick and [die] at the age of twenty-nine” (Zinn, p.38). Berkeley was the clear and obvious hero of this event. He helped the Indians keep their land, he got rid of the violent Nathanial Bacon, and he kept the colony under control. He was a skilled man and knew what he was doing. He was willing to admit he needed help and called in back-up soldiers himself. Honestly, Berkeley seemed like a very genuine man who only had the peoples' best interest in mind. Even though the poorer people may have suffered more because of his decisions as governor, the colony overall was a better community.
Bacon’s Rebellion was an event caused by the people being upset by the government. Nathanial Bacon was one of the first to go against the Virginian government. He caused a monumental amount of trouble for Virginians and did not really care who he hurt. Bacon only did the things he did to help himself become more successful. He thought he was better and smarter than all others and but really “[was] a person of little experience and but of two years [residence] in the country, thinking himself wiser than the law” (document #15). Governor Berkeley was the hero that stepped up and saved the colony of Virginia. Berkeley was “a good and just man” (Sir William Berkeley and the forging of colonial Virginia, Warren M. Billings) and the right man for the job of Governor of Virginia. “Bacon’s Rebellion was the most troublesome incident Berkeley ever faced” (Sir William Berkeley and the forging of colonial Virginia, Warren M. Billings) and he handled it with his knowledge and dignity. He did what he had to and kept his people safe through a dark time and brought them back into the light as a prosperous colony.
Sir William Berkeley was the governor of the colony of Virginia in 1676. He was sent to the New World by the King of England to make sure the colonists stayed in line and under control of the King. Berkeley enforced many laws that were unknown to the colonists before Berkeley arrived. The middle and upper classes did not really have a problem with his new laws but the lower class and poor farmers were seriously disturbed by these new rules that the governor had put in place. The governor was aware that the Natives were invading and taking land from the colonists but did not decide to do anything about it. This may have been because he figured that the Natives were here first so they deserved the land over the colonists or he just did not think anything could be done about it because the Natives were savage beings that could probably overtake their entire town in a small period of time. One middle class citizen of Virginia was strongly against the government and their new plan for the colony, his name was Nathanial Bacon. Bacon decided to step up to the job and did something to try and help the poorer colonists that would not be able to survive the Native invasions and the new laws that Berkeley had put into action that stated that they could not invade the Native lands. He was a rebel and truly hated the governmental system. He went against everything that was supposed to be solid law in Virginia. So, Bacon being the law-breaking citizen that he was decided to start a rebellion. “He gathered his militia [of poor colonists who disagreed with Berkeley] and began raiding the Indians [to attempt to get their land back]” (Zinn, p. 38). From that point on Bacon was considered a “traitor” and a “rebel”.
First, Bacon asked the government to provide him commission to help aid his army against the Natives, but Berkeley would not agree to help him get rid of the Native Americans because he was a governor that stuck to his oath to keep the colonists under his control. This showed great leadership skills and the ability to do what seemed wrong at the time, but what was truly right in the end. Since Berkeley would not supply Bacon with commission, Bacon demanded "forced commission [which] was delivered to [him]" (document #29) with no questions asked after he had decide to raid the town and burn down multiple buildings and homes. He was very rude and forceful with his demands and didn't stop until he got what he wanted. Many colonists and people involved in the government considered Bacon to be a traitor because he went against the laws that were enforced by the government and he was doing everything he could to not obey the laws. Bacon was arrested for his foul behavior and failure to abide by the laws. Bacon was a proud rebel and did not care what others thought of him.
This in a way connects to the Arts of Democracy class that is taught to students at PSEC. Basically, violence is not always the answer. Bacon did not have to resort to starting a rebellion right after the government would not grant him the commission he asked for. There were many other ways Bacon could have gone about getting what he wanted accomplished without having to create unnecessary violence. One way would have been to go to the government and propose an amendment to the laws. This would not guarantee the results Bacon was hoping for but it would have saved numerous amounts of innocent bloodshed. This choice may have also elongated the amount of time Bacon would have to wait to get results but still a long period of time is better than a large amount of innocent colonists and Natives being killed. Another way Bacon could have gone about this issue would have been to try to create a negotiation with the Natives. They could have come to some sort of agreement so that the Natives would not kill innocent colonists and the colonists would not lose any of their land that they had worked so hard to receive in the first place. It may have been a struggle because they did not speak the same languages but it would have been worth it in the end if Bacon could have figured out some way to communicate his ideas across to the Natives without having to use violence. But of course Bacon went with the violent method and sent “his men [to] surround the statehouse, and threaten to shoot several on looking Burgesses if Bacon was not given his commission [and soon after the violent raid] Berkeley gave in to Bacon's demands for campaigns against the Indians without government interference” (Bacon’s Rebellion, globalsecurity.org).
Berkeley made the right choice when he "sent [a letter] to the King for two thousand Redcoats" (document #39). He may have thought it shameful to have to write to the King for back-up soldiers to help him and his people defend themselves against the Natives and one of their own people, but it was in his best interest to save the colony and defeat Bacon. Bacon on the other hand could not handle being unsuccessful. No matter the situation, he found some way to blame his failures on others. He even tried to blame God for his wrong-doings. He said "God so infected his blood that it bred Lice in an incredible number so that for twenty days he never washed his shirts but burned them" (document #44). It was not God's fault that he could not succeed with his 'brilliant' plans to get rid of the Native Americans so that they would stop stealing land from the colonists. He should not have been such a coward, and should have taken the blame for his actions. Many colonists thought that they had “found a leader in Nathanial Bacon” (Zinn, p. 37) and that he was there to help them prevent the Natives from taking more of their land but really he was just "interested in destroying the Indians so he could claim their land [for himself]" (Washburn's book, p. 105). The colonists could not see through Bacon’s act of lies because he seemed sincere and willing to help them with their problems and get their land back. They just thought he was a man who was willing to help others live their lives the way they wanted to, but they were incredibly wrong. Bacon was selfish and immature. Helping the colonists get their land back and then taking it from them for himself would be like ‘stabbing them in the back’ just to get what he wanted. He never truly cared about helping the poor colonists get their land back and improve the way they lived their lives. With this, it is clear that Bacon was not who he displayed himself to be, therefore making him a villain to the colonists.
Bacon was without a doubt the villain in this historical happening. He was a traitor to his own followers and he went against everything the government had put into action. He did everything he was told not to do and just did not listen to anyone but his own conscience. Just because he was upset with the governmental decisions that were made, does not mean he had to start a violent rebellion that caused multiple deaths among the colonists and the Natives. There were many other ways he could have gotten his opinions out in the open. He could have gone directly to the governor or someone close to him and asked to make some revisions to the laws and they may have taken them into consideration. But, starting a rebellion without trying another method of changing things was just plain stupid. Nathanial Bacon was a failure and deserved to “[fall] sick and [die] at the age of twenty-nine” (Zinn, p.38). Berkeley was the clear and obvious hero of this event. He helped the Indians keep their land, he got rid of the violent Nathanial Bacon, and he kept the colony under control. He was a skilled man and knew what he was doing. He was willing to admit he needed help and called in back-up soldiers himself. Honestly, Berkeley seemed like a very genuine man who only had the peoples' best interest in mind. Even though the poorer people may have suffered more because of his decisions as governor, the colony overall was a better community.
Bacon’s Rebellion was an event caused by the people being upset by the government. Nathanial Bacon was one of the first to go against the Virginian government. He caused a monumental amount of trouble for Virginians and did not really care who he hurt. Bacon only did the things he did to help himself become more successful. He thought he was better and smarter than all others and but really “[was] a person of little experience and but of two years [residence] in the country, thinking himself wiser than the law” (document #15). Governor Berkeley was the hero that stepped up and saved the colony of Virginia. Berkeley was “a good and just man” (Sir William Berkeley and the forging of colonial Virginia, Warren M. Billings) and the right man for the job of Governor of Virginia. “Bacon’s Rebellion was the most troublesome incident Berkeley ever faced” (Sir William Berkeley and the forging of colonial Virginia, Warren M. Billings) and he handled it with his knowledge and dignity. He did what he had to and kept his people safe through a dark time and brought them back into the light as a prosperous colony.
Monday, October 20, 2008
essay rough draft # 2
The events of Bacon’s Rebellion have led many people to have different views and opinions on what really happened. Some may think one thing while others think the complete opposite. One issue that many people are biased about is the decisions to name Bacon the hero or if Berkeley should be called the hero. More often people lean towards Bacon as the hero. But Bacon did so many things to disrupt the colony of Virginia that he doesn’t really fit the title of ‘hero’. Berkeley however, did everything he could to keep the colony under control and with that, Berkeley was the hero throughout Bacon's Rebellion while Bacon was the rebel villain of Virginia.
William Berkeley was the governor of the colony of Virginia. He was sent to the New World by the King of England to make sure the colonists stayed in line and under control of the King. Berkeley enforced many laws that were unknown to the colonists before Berkeley arrived. The middle and upper classes didn't really have a problem with his new laws but the lower class and poor farmers were seriously disturbed by these new rules that the governor had put in place. The governor was aware that the Natives were invading and taking land from the colonists but didn’t decide to do anything about it. This may have been because he figured that the Natives were here first so they deserved the land over the colonists or he just didn’t think anything could be done about it because the Natives were savage beings that could probably overtake their entire town in a small amount of time. One middle class citizen of Virginia was strongly against the government and their new plan for the colony, his name was Nathanial Bacon. Bacon decided to step up to the job and did something to try and help the poorer colonists that wouldn't be able to survive the Native invasions and the new laws that Berkeley had put into action that stated that they couldn’t invade the Native lands. He was a rebel and truly hated the governmental system. He went against everything that was supposed to be solid law in Virginia. So, Bacon being the law-breaking citizen that he was decided to start a rebellion. He recruited all of those poor colonists who disagreed with Berkeley and started an army of colonists. From that point on Bacon was considered a “traitor” and a “rebel”.
First, Bacon asked the government to provide him commission to help aid his army against the Natives, but Berkeley would not agree to help him get rid of the Native Americans because he was a governor that stuck to his oath to keep the colonists under his control. This showed great leadership skills and the ability to do what seemed wrong at the time, but what was truly right in the end. Since Berkeley would not supply Bacon with commission, Bacon demanded "forced commission [which] was delivered to [him]" (document #29) with no questions asked after he had decide to raid the town and burn down multiple buildings and homes. He was very rude and forceful with his demands and didn't stop until he got what he wanted. Many colonists and people involved in the government considered Bacon to be a traitor because he went against the laws that were enforced by the government and he was doing everything he could to not obey the laws. Bacon was arrested for his foul behavior and failure to abide by the laws. Bacon was a proud rebel and didn’t care what others thought of him.
This in a way connects to the Arts of Democracy class that is taught to students at PSEC. Basically, violence is not always the answer. Bacon didn’t have to resort to starting a rebellion right after the government wouldn’t grant him the commission he asked. There are many other ways Bacon could have gone about getting what he wanted accomplished. One way would have been to go to the government and propose an amendment to the law. This wouldn’t guarantee the result Bacon was hoping for but it would have saved numerous amounts of innocent bloodshed. This choice may have also elongated the amount of time Bacon would have to wait to get results but still a long period of time is better than a large amount of innocent people being killed. Another way Bacon could have gone about this issue would be to try to create a negotiation with the Natives. They could have come to some agreement so that the Natives wouldn’t kill innocent colonists and the colonists wouldn’t lose any of their land. It may have been a struggle because they didn’t speak the same language but it would have been worth it in the end if Bacon could have figured out some way to get his ideas across to the Natives without violence. But of course Bacon went with the violent method and sent “his men [to] surround the statehouse, and threaten to shoot several on looking Burgesses if Bacon was not given his commission [and soon after the violent raid] Berkeley gave in to Bacon's demands for campaigns against the Indians without government interference” (Bacon’s Rebellion, globalsecurity.org).
Berkeley made the right choice when he "sent [a letter] to the King for two thousand Redcoats" (document #39). He may have thought it shameful to have to write to the King for back-up soldiers to help him and his people through the rebellion, but it was in his best interest to save the colony and defeat Bacon. Bacon on the other hand couldn't handle being unsuccessful. He found some way to blame his failures on others. He even tried to blame God for his wrong-doings. He said "God so infected his blood that it bred Lice in an incredible number so that for twenty days he never washed his shirts but burned them" (document #44). It was not God's fault that he couldn't succeed with his 'brilliant' plans to get rid of the Native Americans. He should not have been such a coward, and should have taken the blame for his actions. Many colonists thought that they had “found a leader in Nathanial Bacon” (Zinn, p. 37) and that he was there to help them prevent the Natives from taking more of their land but really he was just "interested in destroying the Indians so he could claim their land [for himself]" (Washburn's book, p. 105). The colonists could not see through Bacon’s act of lies because he seemed sincere and willing to help them get their land back. They just thought he was a man who was willing to help others live their lives the way they wanted to. Bacon was selfish and immature. Helping the colonists get their land back and then taking it from them for him would be like ‘stabbing them in the back’ just to get what he wanted. With this, it is clear that Bacon was not who he displayed himself to be and therefore making him a villain to the colonists.
Bacon was without a doubt the villain in this historical happening. He was a traitor to his own followers and he went against everything the government had put into action. He did everything he was told not to do and just didn’t listen to anyone but his own conscience. Just because he was upset with the governmental decisions that were made, doesn't mean he had to start a rebellion. There were many other ways he could have gotten his opinions out in the open. He could have gone directly to the governor or someone close to him and asked to make some revisions to the laws and they may have taken them into consideration. But, starting a rebellion without trying another method of changing things was just plain stupid. Nathanial Bacon was a failure and deserves what he got. Berkeley was the clear and obvious hero of this event. He helped the Indians keep their land, he got rid of the violent Nathanial Bacon, and he kept the colony under control. He was a skilled man and knew what he was doing. He was willing to admit he needed help and called in back-up soldiers himself. Honestly, Berkeley seemed like a very genuine man who only had the peoples' best interest in mind. Even though the poorer people may have suffered more because of his decisions as governor, the colony overall was a better community.
Bacon’s Rebellion was an event caused by the people being upset by the government. Nathanial Bacon was one of the first to go against the Virginian government. He caused a monumental amount of trouble for Virginians and didn’t really care who he hurt. Bacon only did the things he did to help himself become more successful. Governor Berkeley was the hero that stepped up and saved the colony of Virginia. Berkeley was “a good and just man” (Sir William Berkeley and the forging of colonial Virginia, Warren M. Billings) and the right man for the job of Governor of Virginia. “Bacon’s Rebellion was the most troublesome incident Berkeley ever faced” (Sir William Berkeley and the forging of colonial Virginia, Warren M. Billings) and he handled it with dignity. He did what he had to and kept his people safe through a dark time and came out to become once again a prosperous colony.
William Berkeley was the governor of the colony of Virginia. He was sent to the New World by the King of England to make sure the colonists stayed in line and under control of the King. Berkeley enforced many laws that were unknown to the colonists before Berkeley arrived. The middle and upper classes didn't really have a problem with his new laws but the lower class and poor farmers were seriously disturbed by these new rules that the governor had put in place. The governor was aware that the Natives were invading and taking land from the colonists but didn’t decide to do anything about it. This may have been because he figured that the Natives were here first so they deserved the land over the colonists or he just didn’t think anything could be done about it because the Natives were savage beings that could probably overtake their entire town in a small amount of time. One middle class citizen of Virginia was strongly against the government and their new plan for the colony, his name was Nathanial Bacon. Bacon decided to step up to the job and did something to try and help the poorer colonists that wouldn't be able to survive the Native invasions and the new laws that Berkeley had put into action that stated that they couldn’t invade the Native lands. He was a rebel and truly hated the governmental system. He went against everything that was supposed to be solid law in Virginia. So, Bacon being the law-breaking citizen that he was decided to start a rebellion. He recruited all of those poor colonists who disagreed with Berkeley and started an army of colonists. From that point on Bacon was considered a “traitor” and a “rebel”.
First, Bacon asked the government to provide him commission to help aid his army against the Natives, but Berkeley would not agree to help him get rid of the Native Americans because he was a governor that stuck to his oath to keep the colonists under his control. This showed great leadership skills and the ability to do what seemed wrong at the time, but what was truly right in the end. Since Berkeley would not supply Bacon with commission, Bacon demanded "forced commission [which] was delivered to [him]" (document #29) with no questions asked after he had decide to raid the town and burn down multiple buildings and homes. He was very rude and forceful with his demands and didn't stop until he got what he wanted. Many colonists and people involved in the government considered Bacon to be a traitor because he went against the laws that were enforced by the government and he was doing everything he could to not obey the laws. Bacon was arrested for his foul behavior and failure to abide by the laws. Bacon was a proud rebel and didn’t care what others thought of him.
This in a way connects to the Arts of Democracy class that is taught to students at PSEC. Basically, violence is not always the answer. Bacon didn’t have to resort to starting a rebellion right after the government wouldn’t grant him the commission he asked. There are many other ways Bacon could have gone about getting what he wanted accomplished. One way would have been to go to the government and propose an amendment to the law. This wouldn’t guarantee the result Bacon was hoping for but it would have saved numerous amounts of innocent bloodshed. This choice may have also elongated the amount of time Bacon would have to wait to get results but still a long period of time is better than a large amount of innocent people being killed. Another way Bacon could have gone about this issue would be to try to create a negotiation with the Natives. They could have come to some agreement so that the Natives wouldn’t kill innocent colonists and the colonists wouldn’t lose any of their land. It may have been a struggle because they didn’t speak the same language but it would have been worth it in the end if Bacon could have figured out some way to get his ideas across to the Natives without violence. But of course Bacon went with the violent method and sent “his men [to] surround the statehouse, and threaten to shoot several on looking Burgesses if Bacon was not given his commission [and soon after the violent raid] Berkeley gave in to Bacon's demands for campaigns against the Indians without government interference” (Bacon’s Rebellion, globalsecurity.org).
Berkeley made the right choice when he "sent [a letter] to the King for two thousand Redcoats" (document #39). He may have thought it shameful to have to write to the King for back-up soldiers to help him and his people through the rebellion, but it was in his best interest to save the colony and defeat Bacon. Bacon on the other hand couldn't handle being unsuccessful. He found some way to blame his failures on others. He even tried to blame God for his wrong-doings. He said "God so infected his blood that it bred Lice in an incredible number so that for twenty days he never washed his shirts but burned them" (document #44). It was not God's fault that he couldn't succeed with his 'brilliant' plans to get rid of the Native Americans. He should not have been such a coward, and should have taken the blame for his actions. Many colonists thought that they had “found a leader in Nathanial Bacon” (Zinn, p. 37) and that he was there to help them prevent the Natives from taking more of their land but really he was just "interested in destroying the Indians so he could claim their land [for himself]" (Washburn's book, p. 105). The colonists could not see through Bacon’s act of lies because he seemed sincere and willing to help them get their land back. They just thought he was a man who was willing to help others live their lives the way they wanted to. Bacon was selfish and immature. Helping the colonists get their land back and then taking it from them for him would be like ‘stabbing them in the back’ just to get what he wanted. With this, it is clear that Bacon was not who he displayed himself to be and therefore making him a villain to the colonists.
Bacon was without a doubt the villain in this historical happening. He was a traitor to his own followers and he went against everything the government had put into action. He did everything he was told not to do and just didn’t listen to anyone but his own conscience. Just because he was upset with the governmental decisions that were made, doesn't mean he had to start a rebellion. There were many other ways he could have gotten his opinions out in the open. He could have gone directly to the governor or someone close to him and asked to make some revisions to the laws and they may have taken them into consideration. But, starting a rebellion without trying another method of changing things was just plain stupid. Nathanial Bacon was a failure and deserves what he got. Berkeley was the clear and obvious hero of this event. He helped the Indians keep their land, he got rid of the violent Nathanial Bacon, and he kept the colony under control. He was a skilled man and knew what he was doing. He was willing to admit he needed help and called in back-up soldiers himself. Honestly, Berkeley seemed like a very genuine man who only had the peoples' best interest in mind. Even though the poorer people may have suffered more because of his decisions as governor, the colony overall was a better community.
Bacon’s Rebellion was an event caused by the people being upset by the government. Nathanial Bacon was one of the first to go against the Virginian government. He caused a monumental amount of trouble for Virginians and didn’t really care who he hurt. Bacon only did the things he did to help himself become more successful. Governor Berkeley was the hero that stepped up and saved the colony of Virginia. Berkeley was “a good and just man” (Sir William Berkeley and the forging of colonial Virginia, Warren M. Billings) and the right man for the job of Governor of Virginia. “Bacon’s Rebellion was the most troublesome incident Berkeley ever faced” (Sir William Berkeley and the forging of colonial Virginia, Warren M. Billings) and he handled it with dignity. He did what he had to and kept his people safe through a dark time and came out to become once again a prosperous colony.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
essay rough draft
The events of Bacon’s Rebellion have led many people to have different views and opinions on what really happened. Some may think one thing while others think the complete opposite. One issue that many people are biased about is the decisions to name Bacon the hero or if Berkeley should be called the hero. More people lean towards Bacon as the hero but, Berkeley was the hero throughout Bacon's Rebellion while Bacon was the rebel villain of Virginia.
William Berkeley was the governor of the colony of Virginia. He was sent to the New World by the King of England to make sure the colonists stayed in line and under control of the King. Berkeley enforced many laws that were unknown to the colonists before Berkeley arrived. The middle and upper classes didn't really have a problem with his new laws but the lower class and poor farmers were seriously disturbed by these new rules that the governor had put in place. The governor was aware that the Natives were invading and taking land from the colonists but didn’t decide to do anything about it. This may have been because he figured that the Natives were here first so they deserved the land over the colonists or he just didn’t think anything could be done about it because the Natives were savage beings that could probably overtake their entire town in a small amount of time. One middle class citizen of Virginia was strongly against the government and their new plan for the colony, his name was Nathanial Bacon. Bacon decided to step up to the job and did something to try and help the poorer colonists that wouldn't be able to survive the Native invasions and the new laws that Berkeley had put into action that stated that they couldn’t invade the Native lands. He was a rebel and truly hated the governmental system. He went against everything that was supposed to be solid law in Virginia. So, Bacon being the law-breaking citizen that he was decided to start a rebellion. He recruited all of those poor colonists who disagreed with Berkeley and started an army of colonists. From that point on Bacon was considered a “traitor” and a “rebel”.
First, Bacon asked the government to provide him commission to help aid his army against the Natives, but Berkeley would not agree to help him get rid of the Native Americans because he was a governor that stuck to his oath to keep the colonists under his control. This showed great leadership skills and the ability to do what seemed wrong at the time, but what was truly right in the end. Since Berkeley would not supply Bacon with commission, Bacon demanded "forced commission [which] was delivered to [him]" (document #29) with no questions asked after he had decide to raid the town and burn down multiple buildings and homes. He was very rude and forceful with his demands and didn't stop until he got what he wanted. Many colonists and people involved in the government considered Bacon to be a traitor because he went against the laws that were enforced by the government and he was doing everything he could to not have to obey them. Bacon was arrested for his foul behavior and failure to abide by the laws. Bacon was a proud rebel and didn’t care what others thought of him.
This in a way connects to the Arts of Democracy class that is taught to students. Basically, violence is not always the answer. Bacon didn’t have to resort to starting a rebellion right after the government wouldn’t grant him the commission he asked for one time. There are many other ways Bacon could have gone about getting what he wanted accomplished. One way would be to go to the government and propose an amendment to the law. This wouldn’t guarantee the result Bacon was hoping for but it would have saved numerous amounts of innocent bloodshed. This choice may have also elongated the amount of time Bacon would have to wait to get results but still a long period of time is better than a large amount of people being killed. Another way Bacon could have gone about this issue would be to try to create a negotiation with the Natives. They could have come to some agreement so that the Natives wouldn’t kill innocent colonists and the colonists wouldn’t lose any of their land. It may have been a struggle because they didn’t speak the same language but it would have been worth it in the end if Bacon could have figured out some way to get his ideas across to the Natives without violence.
Berkeley made the right choice when he "sent [a letter] to the King for two thousand Redcoats" (document #39). He may have thought it shameful to have to write to the King for back-up soldiers to help him and his people through the rebellion, but it was in his best interest to save the colony and defeat Bacon. Bacon on the other hand couldn't handle being unsuccessful. He found some way to blame his failures on others. He even tried to blame God for his wrong-doings. He said "God so infected his blood that it bred Lice in an incredible number so that for twenty days he never washed his shirts but burned them" (document #44). It was not God's fault that he couldn't succeed with his 'brilliant' plans to get rid of the Native Americans. He should not have been such a coward, and should have taken the blame for his actions. Many colonists thought that they had “found a leader in Nathanial Bacon” (Zinn, p. 37) and that he was there to help them prevent the Natives from taking more of their land but really he was just "interested in destroying the Indians so he could claim their land [for himself]" (Washburn's book, p. 105). The colonists could not see through Bacon’s act of lies because he seemed sincere and willing to help them get their land back. They just thought he was a man who was willing to help others live their lives the way they wanted to. Bacon was selfish and immature. Helping the colonists get their land back and then taking it from them for him would be like ‘stabbing them in the back’ just to get what he wanted. With this, it is clear that Bacon was not who he displayed himself to be and therefore making him a villain to the colonists.
Bacon was without a doubt the villain in this historical happening. He was a traitor to his own followers and he went against everything the government had put into action. He did everything he was told not to do and just didn’t listen to anyone but his own conscience. Just because he was upset with the governmental decisions that were made, doesn't mean he had to start a rebellion. There were many other ways he could have gotten his opinions out in the open. He could have gone directly to the governor or someone close to him and asked to make some revisions to the laws and they may have taken them into consideration. But, starting a rebellion without trying another method of changing things was just plain stupid. Nathanial Bacon was a failure and deserves what he got.
Berkeley was the clear and obvious hero of this event. He helped the Indians keep their land, he got rid of the violent Nathanial Bacon, and he kept the colony under control. He was a skilled man and knew what he was doing. He was willing to admit he needed help and called in back-up soldiers himself. Honestly, Berkeley seemed like a very genuine man who only had the peoples' best interest in mind. Even though the poorer people may have suffered more because of his decisions as governor, the colony overall was a better community.
Bacon’s Rebellion was an event caused by the people being upset by the government. Nathanial Bacon was one of the first to go against the Virginian government. He caused a monumental amount of trouble for Virginians and didn’t really care who he hurt. Bacon only did the things he did to help himself become more successful. Governor Berkeley was the hero that stepped up and saved the colony of Virginia. He did what he had to and kept his people safe through a dark time and came out to become once again a prospering colony.
William Berkeley was the governor of the colony of Virginia. He was sent to the New World by the King of England to make sure the colonists stayed in line and under control of the King. Berkeley enforced many laws that were unknown to the colonists before Berkeley arrived. The middle and upper classes didn't really have a problem with his new laws but the lower class and poor farmers were seriously disturbed by these new rules that the governor had put in place. The governor was aware that the Natives were invading and taking land from the colonists but didn’t decide to do anything about it. This may have been because he figured that the Natives were here first so they deserved the land over the colonists or he just didn’t think anything could be done about it because the Natives were savage beings that could probably overtake their entire town in a small amount of time. One middle class citizen of Virginia was strongly against the government and their new plan for the colony, his name was Nathanial Bacon. Bacon decided to step up to the job and did something to try and help the poorer colonists that wouldn't be able to survive the Native invasions and the new laws that Berkeley had put into action that stated that they couldn’t invade the Native lands. He was a rebel and truly hated the governmental system. He went against everything that was supposed to be solid law in Virginia. So, Bacon being the law-breaking citizen that he was decided to start a rebellion. He recruited all of those poor colonists who disagreed with Berkeley and started an army of colonists. From that point on Bacon was considered a “traitor” and a “rebel”.
First, Bacon asked the government to provide him commission to help aid his army against the Natives, but Berkeley would not agree to help him get rid of the Native Americans because he was a governor that stuck to his oath to keep the colonists under his control. This showed great leadership skills and the ability to do what seemed wrong at the time, but what was truly right in the end. Since Berkeley would not supply Bacon with commission, Bacon demanded "forced commission [which] was delivered to [him]" (document #29) with no questions asked after he had decide to raid the town and burn down multiple buildings and homes. He was very rude and forceful with his demands and didn't stop until he got what he wanted. Many colonists and people involved in the government considered Bacon to be a traitor because he went against the laws that were enforced by the government and he was doing everything he could to not have to obey them. Bacon was arrested for his foul behavior and failure to abide by the laws. Bacon was a proud rebel and didn’t care what others thought of him.
This in a way connects to the Arts of Democracy class that is taught to students. Basically, violence is not always the answer. Bacon didn’t have to resort to starting a rebellion right after the government wouldn’t grant him the commission he asked for one time. There are many other ways Bacon could have gone about getting what he wanted accomplished. One way would be to go to the government and propose an amendment to the law. This wouldn’t guarantee the result Bacon was hoping for but it would have saved numerous amounts of innocent bloodshed. This choice may have also elongated the amount of time Bacon would have to wait to get results but still a long period of time is better than a large amount of people being killed. Another way Bacon could have gone about this issue would be to try to create a negotiation with the Natives. They could have come to some agreement so that the Natives wouldn’t kill innocent colonists and the colonists wouldn’t lose any of their land. It may have been a struggle because they didn’t speak the same language but it would have been worth it in the end if Bacon could have figured out some way to get his ideas across to the Natives without violence.
Berkeley made the right choice when he "sent [a letter] to the King for two thousand Redcoats" (document #39). He may have thought it shameful to have to write to the King for back-up soldiers to help him and his people through the rebellion, but it was in his best interest to save the colony and defeat Bacon. Bacon on the other hand couldn't handle being unsuccessful. He found some way to blame his failures on others. He even tried to blame God for his wrong-doings. He said "God so infected his blood that it bred Lice in an incredible number so that for twenty days he never washed his shirts but burned them" (document #44). It was not God's fault that he couldn't succeed with his 'brilliant' plans to get rid of the Native Americans. He should not have been such a coward, and should have taken the blame for his actions. Many colonists thought that they had “found a leader in Nathanial Bacon” (Zinn, p. 37) and that he was there to help them prevent the Natives from taking more of their land but really he was just "interested in destroying the Indians so he could claim their land [for himself]" (Washburn's book, p. 105). The colonists could not see through Bacon’s act of lies because he seemed sincere and willing to help them get their land back. They just thought he was a man who was willing to help others live their lives the way they wanted to. Bacon was selfish and immature. Helping the colonists get their land back and then taking it from them for him would be like ‘stabbing them in the back’ just to get what he wanted. With this, it is clear that Bacon was not who he displayed himself to be and therefore making him a villain to the colonists.
Bacon was without a doubt the villain in this historical happening. He was a traitor to his own followers and he went against everything the government had put into action. He did everything he was told not to do and just didn’t listen to anyone but his own conscience. Just because he was upset with the governmental decisions that were made, doesn't mean he had to start a rebellion. There were many other ways he could have gotten his opinions out in the open. He could have gone directly to the governor or someone close to him and asked to make some revisions to the laws and they may have taken them into consideration. But, starting a rebellion without trying another method of changing things was just plain stupid. Nathanial Bacon was a failure and deserves what he got.
Berkeley was the clear and obvious hero of this event. He helped the Indians keep their land, he got rid of the violent Nathanial Bacon, and he kept the colony under control. He was a skilled man and knew what he was doing. He was willing to admit he needed help and called in back-up soldiers himself. Honestly, Berkeley seemed like a very genuine man who only had the peoples' best interest in mind. Even though the poorer people may have suffered more because of his decisions as governor, the colony overall was a better community.
Bacon’s Rebellion was an event caused by the people being upset by the government. Nathanial Bacon was one of the first to go against the Virginian government. He caused a monumental amount of trouble for Virginians and didn’t really care who he hurt. Bacon only did the things he did to help himself become more successful. Governor Berkeley was the hero that stepped up and saved the colony of Virginia. He did what he had to and kept his people safe through a dark time and came out to become once again a prospering colony.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Equiano Response
The African's didn't really know what they were getting dragged into when they were being forced on the ships to be taken to the New World and sold into slavery. They could't understand what the English were saying because they spoke a completely different and new language that they had never heard before. They were treated so poorly and with so much disrespect. For example, they were shoved into tiny compartments with multiple other Africans and they had no choice but to sit and wait. They were given little to no food in all the days they were on the ship. Many of the African's died before they even reached land to be sold as slaves because of poor nutrition. Other didn't survive because of the disgusting smell created by those African's who had already perished. The English didn't care. They didn't really think of them as people, but more like property. They kind of thought of them as just there's to throw around and force to do tasks that they didn't want to complete themselves. It is hard to understand how any one human being could possibly do something like that to another and it is even more saddening and hard to understand that something like this could still be going on today.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Revised: Thesis/Hypothesis
Thesis:
Berkeley was the hero throughout Bacon's Rebellion while Bacon was the rebel villain of Virginia.
Background Information:
I. William Berkeley was the governor of Virginia and had the colony's best interest in mind.
---A. He wanted to keep the land lines as they were.
-----1. But he wouldn't stop the natives from taking the colonists land.
-------a. Bacon was the man for the job. He started a rebellion against the Indians and the Virginia government to stop the Natives from stealing the colonists land.
Body/Discussion:
II. Bacon rebelled against the government without trying to accomplish his goals in a different way first.
---A. He asked for commission but Berkeley denied the request.
-----1. Bacon then burned down houses/town to show he was serious and to basically force the government to grant him the commission he asked for. ["Forced commission [which] was delivered to [him]" (document #29)]
-------a. Then when government realized Bacon was serious, they granted him the commission.
III. Berkeley kept government under control throughout the rebellion, showing good leadership skills.
---A. Wasn't afraid to write to the King for back-up Redcoats when he really needed them. ["sent [a letter] to the King for two thousand Redcoats" (document #39)]
-----1. King sent him some number of Redcoats to help Berkeley defeat and end Bacon's Rebellion.
IV. Bacon was too stubborn to admit defeat.
---A. Whenever he did something wrong or failed at something he tried to blame it on someone else.
-----1. Bacon tried to blame God for the failure of his rebellion.
-------a. [said "God so infected his blood that it bred Lice in an incredible number so that for twenty days he never washed his shirts but burned them" (document #44)]
---B. Bacon wasn't really interested in helping the people.
-----1. ["Interested in destroying the Indians so he could claim their land [for himself]" (Washburn's book, p. 105)]
Berkeley was the hero throughout Bacon's Rebellion while Bacon was the rebel villain of Virginia.
Background Information:
I. William Berkeley was the governor of Virginia and had the colony's best interest in mind.
---A. He wanted to keep the land lines as they were.
-----1. But he wouldn't stop the natives from taking the colonists land.
-------a. Bacon was the man for the job. He started a rebellion against the Indians and the Virginia government to stop the Natives from stealing the colonists land.
Body/Discussion:
II. Bacon rebelled against the government without trying to accomplish his goals in a different way first.
---A. He asked for commission but Berkeley denied the request.
-----1. Bacon then burned down houses/town to show he was serious and to basically force the government to grant him the commission he asked for. ["Forced commission [which] was delivered to [him]" (document #29)]
-------a. Then when government realized Bacon was serious, they granted him the commission.
III. Berkeley kept government under control throughout the rebellion, showing good leadership skills.
---A. Wasn't afraid to write to the King for back-up Redcoats when he really needed them. ["sent [a letter] to the King for two thousand Redcoats" (document #39)]
-----1. King sent him some number of Redcoats to help Berkeley defeat and end Bacon's Rebellion.
IV. Bacon was too stubborn to admit defeat.
---A. Whenever he did something wrong or failed at something he tried to blame it on someone else.
-----1. Bacon tried to blame God for the failure of his rebellion.
-------a. [said "God so infected his blood that it bred Lice in an incredible number so that for twenty days he never washed his shirts but burned them" (document #44)]
---B. Bacon wasn't really interested in helping the people.
-----1. ["Interested in destroying the Indians so he could claim their land [for himself]" (Washburn's book, p. 105)]
Monday, October 13, 2008
hypothesis/thesis essay outline
Thesis:
Berkeley was the hero throughout Bacon's Rebellion while Bacon was the rebel villain of Virginia.
Background info:
-William Berkeley was the governor of the colony of Virginia.
-He was sent to the New World by the King to make sure the colony stayed in line.
-Bacon decided to step up and do something to try and help the poorer colonists that wouldn't be able to survive with the new laws that Berkeley had put in place.
-He was a rebel and truly hated the governmental system.
-Bacon started a rebellion.
-Ended up unsuccessful on Bacon's end.
Body:
I will talk about the view point of Berkeley being the hero throughout the Rebellion. I will include citations and quotes that support the idea from multiple different documents. Also, I will integrate first-hand accounts of people that actually witnessed and believe Berkeley to be the better person. I will provide details and quotes that support the idea of Bacon being a villian during Bacon's Rebellion.
Discussion:
I will integrate my ideas into the essay and include why I thought Berkeley was the hero instead of Bacon and why I thought Bacon was the villain over Berkeley. I will wrap everything up so there are no loose ends and so that the readers aren't left confused over my view points.
Conclusion:
I will conclude my thoughts in a well-structure paragraph that will get my final points across to the reader. They paragraph will include some of the main points from the body of the essay, which will help sum everthing up to make a good conclusion to my essay.
Berkeley was the hero throughout Bacon's Rebellion while Bacon was the rebel villain of Virginia.
Background info:
-William Berkeley was the governor of the colony of Virginia.
-He was sent to the New World by the King to make sure the colony stayed in line.
-Bacon decided to step up and do something to try and help the poorer colonists that wouldn't be able to survive with the new laws that Berkeley had put in place.
-He was a rebel and truly hated the governmental system.
-Bacon started a rebellion.
-Ended up unsuccessful on Bacon's end.
Body:
I will talk about the view point of Berkeley being the hero throughout the Rebellion. I will include citations and quotes that support the idea from multiple different documents. Also, I will integrate first-hand accounts of people that actually witnessed and believe Berkeley to be the better person. I will provide details and quotes that support the idea of Bacon being a villian during Bacon's Rebellion.
Discussion:
I will integrate my ideas into the essay and include why I thought Berkeley was the hero instead of Bacon and why I thought Bacon was the villain over Berkeley. I will wrap everything up so there are no loose ends and so that the readers aren't left confused over my view points.
Conclusion:
I will conclude my thoughts in a well-structure paragraph that will get my final points across to the reader. They paragraph will include some of the main points from the body of the essay, which will help sum everthing up to make a good conclusion to my essay.
Hypothesis/Thesis for Essay
Hypothesis:
Did the government of the colony consider Bacon or Berkeley the hero throughout Bacon's Rebellion?
Thesis:
Berkeley was the hero throughout Bacon's Rebellion.
Did the government of the colony consider Bacon or Berkeley the hero throughout Bacon's Rebellion?
Thesis:
Berkeley was the hero throughout Bacon's Rebellion.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
JSTOR Research
I researched by typing in Bacon's Rebellion and then entering topics that connect with Bacon's Rebellion like African Slaves, Indentured Servants, Political Issues, and Government. I found multiple documents while searching including, books, articles, and reviews. I will search differently by not only looking into JSTOR but by looking into other online databases to help me with my research.
Citations:
1. Review: From Freedom to Bondage in Seventeenth-Century Virginia, Gary B. Nash. Reviews in American History, Vol. 10, No. 1 (Mar., 1982), pp. 33-37
2. Motive for Murder: A Servant's Life in Virginia, 1678, T. H. Breen, James H. Lewis and Keith Schlesinger. The William and Mary Quarterly, Third Series, Vol. 40, No. 1 (Jan., 1983), pp. 106-120
3. Bacon's Rebellion, The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 9, No. 1 (Jul., 1900), pp. 1-10
4. Order and Chaos in Early America: Political and Social Stability in Pre-Restoration Virginia, Jon Kukla. The American Historical Review, Vol. 90, No. 2 (Apr., 1985), pp. 275-298
Citations:
1. Review: From Freedom to Bondage in Seventeenth-Century Virginia, Gary B. Nash. Reviews in American History, Vol. 10, No. 1 (Mar., 1982), pp. 33-37
2. Motive for Murder: A Servant's Life in Virginia, 1678, T. H. Breen, James H. Lewis and Keith Schlesinger. The William and Mary Quarterly, Third Series, Vol. 40, No. 1 (Jan., 1983), pp. 106-120
3. Bacon's Rebellion, The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 9, No. 1 (Jul., 1900), pp. 1-10
4. Order and Chaos in Early America: Political and Social Stability in Pre-Restoration Virginia, Jon Kukla. The American Historical Review, Vol. 90, No. 2 (Apr., 1985), pp. 275-298
John Winthrop's Arbella Sermon Responses
1. “The definition which the scripture gives us of love is this: ‘Love is the bond of perfection.’ [I]t is a bond or ligament. . . . There is no body but consists of parts and that which each part so contiguous to others as thereby they do mutually participate with each other, both in strength and infirmity, in pleasure and pain. . . . Christ and his church make one body. The several parts of this body, considered apart before they were united, were disproportionate and as much disordering as so many contrary qualities or elements, [however, when united], it is become the most perfect and best proportioned body in the world[.]”
Everyone represents a different part of the body or community. If one part of the body doesn't do their part then the rest of the body suffers, but if all parts of the body work together, then the body will be 'perfect' and successful in everything they do together. It is kind of like a soccer team. If the forwards do their part by trying to score a goal but the defenders run off the field to talk to people then the team will probably lose. But if all players work together and play as a team then they will be successful.
2. “Whatsoever we did or ought to have done when we lived in England, the same must we do, and more also, where we go.”
The colonists want to keep the ways of living they had in England but also add to and improve them for their new land of 'New England'. They don't want to completely disconnect themselves from England but they want to become the new and improve England.
3. “Thus stands the cause between God and us. We are entered into covenant with him for this work. We have taken out a commission, the Lord hath given us leave to draw our own articles. We have professed to enterprise these actions . . . . Now if the Lord shall please to hear us, and bring us in peace to the place we desire, then hath he ratified this covenant and sealed our commission, [and] will expect a strict performance of the articles contained in it.”
The colonists believed they were sent to the new world to serve God better. They believed the lord sent them their to do his work for him and spread his word to others. None of them knew if God would choose to use them but they wall wanted to please him just in case they were the chosen ones.
4. “[W]hen he shall make us a praise and glory that men shall say of succeeding [colonies], ‘the Lord make it like that of New England.’ For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us[.]”
Colonists felt as if they were up on a pedestal for all others to see them, so they had to set a prime example of behavior and work examples. They may have been located on a hill because that way they felt closer to God and were able to be in his presence more often than if they had been located down in a valley.
Everyone represents a different part of the body or community. If one part of the body doesn't do their part then the rest of the body suffers, but if all parts of the body work together, then the body will be 'perfect' and successful in everything they do together. It is kind of like a soccer team. If the forwards do their part by trying to score a goal but the defenders run off the field to talk to people then the team will probably lose. But if all players work together and play as a team then they will be successful.
2. “Whatsoever we did or ought to have done when we lived in England, the same must we do, and more also, where we go.”
The colonists want to keep the ways of living they had in England but also add to and improve them for their new land of 'New England'. They don't want to completely disconnect themselves from England but they want to become the new and improve England.
3. “Thus stands the cause between God and us. We are entered into covenant with him for this work. We have taken out a commission, the Lord hath given us leave to draw our own articles. We have professed to enterprise these actions . . . . Now if the Lord shall please to hear us, and bring us in peace to the place we desire, then hath he ratified this covenant and sealed our commission, [and] will expect a strict performance of the articles contained in it.”
The colonists believed they were sent to the new world to serve God better. They believed the lord sent them their to do his work for him and spread his word to others. None of them knew if God would choose to use them but they wall wanted to please him just in case they were the chosen ones.
4. “[W]hen he shall make us a praise and glory that men shall say of succeeding [colonies], ‘the Lord make it like that of New England.’ For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us[.]”
Colonists felt as if they were up on a pedestal for all others to see them, so they had to set a prime example of behavior and work examples. They may have been located on a hill because that way they felt closer to God and were able to be in his presence more often than if they had been located down in a valley.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
National College Fair Worksheet/Assignment
1.
a public college: Western Washington University is located in Bellingham, Washington and has about 13,500 students, 93% of whom are undergraduates. The campus is located near many popular tourist areas and has multiple majors to choose to study.
a private college: Seattle Pacific University is located in Seattle, Washington. The girl to boy ratio is about 2:1. SPU is a private christian school and is located in a prime area for students to get around without having a car.
a rural college: Fort Lewis College is located in Durango, Colorado. The campus is located in the San Juan Mountains and has is very modern for a college campus. It has a rural community which is nice for those people who aren't really the urban/city type.
a traditional large university: University of Washington is located in Seattle, Washington. It is very well known throughout the country for its medical programs and sciences in general. It has a very large campus and has special requirements to be accepted into the school.
a small alternative college: Santa Monica College is located in Santa Monica, California. They have been open since 1979 and are actually just a community college in California. They accept Running Start transfers and credits, so it is a great choice in schools for students at PSEC.
2.
Three colleges I found that offer pre-med programs are the University of Washington, Santa Monica College(california), and Chapman University(california). All three are said to have excellent medical programs. If I were to choose UW over the other two I think I would feel more at home because I live near seattle and I go to Seattle pretty often so I would feel better in my surroundings. If I were to choose one of the colleges in California then I would be farther from home and therefore I would feel less comfortable than at a school near my hometown. I think the more comfortable I am in my surroundings, the better my school work turns out to be.
3.
I attended the financial planning workshop and the basic idea of the workshop was to help people in planning on paying for college. It gave a lot of different ways to get additional money to help with funds like, grants, scholarships, loans, and financial aid. This workshop was helpful and gave me information that will be useful in the near future.
4.
The information that was the most useful was probably the one-on-one time I had to talk with the representatives from all different types of colleges. I got to ask multiple questions that I needed answered but I will always have more in the future. I need to start considering my options for school and how I am going to pay for all of it. The road to college is a long thoughtful process but the college fair really helped me get started on the right track.
a public college: Western Washington University is located in Bellingham, Washington and has about 13,500 students, 93% of whom are undergraduates. The campus is located near many popular tourist areas and has multiple majors to choose to study.
a private college: Seattle Pacific University is located in Seattle, Washington. The girl to boy ratio is about 2:1. SPU is a private christian school and is located in a prime area for students to get around without having a car.
a rural college: Fort Lewis College is located in Durango, Colorado. The campus is located in the San Juan Mountains and has is very modern for a college campus. It has a rural community which is nice for those people who aren't really the urban/city type.
a traditional large university: University of Washington is located in Seattle, Washington. It is very well known throughout the country for its medical programs and sciences in general. It has a very large campus and has special requirements to be accepted into the school.
a small alternative college: Santa Monica College is located in Santa Monica, California. They have been open since 1979 and are actually just a community college in California. They accept Running Start transfers and credits, so it is a great choice in schools for students at PSEC.
2.
Three colleges I found that offer pre-med programs are the University of Washington, Santa Monica College(california), and Chapman University(california). All three are said to have excellent medical programs. If I were to choose UW over the other two I think I would feel more at home because I live near seattle and I go to Seattle pretty often so I would feel better in my surroundings. If I were to choose one of the colleges in California then I would be farther from home and therefore I would feel less comfortable than at a school near my hometown. I think the more comfortable I am in my surroundings, the better my school work turns out to be.
3.
I attended the financial planning workshop and the basic idea of the workshop was to help people in planning on paying for college. It gave a lot of different ways to get additional money to help with funds like, grants, scholarships, loans, and financial aid. This workshop was helpful and gave me information that will be useful in the near future.
4.
The information that was the most useful was probably the one-on-one time I had to talk with the representatives from all different types of colleges. I got to ask multiple questions that I needed answered but I will always have more in the future. I need to start considering my options for school and how I am going to pay for all of it. The road to college is a long thoughtful process but the college fair really helped me get started on the right track.
they say 2; Bacon's Rebellion
The first known rebellion of the English Colonies was an uprising called Bacon's Rebellion of 1676. This rebellion all began when Virginians disagreed over the Indian policy in Virginia. Many colonists weren't satisfied with how the Indians were handled so they decided to do something about it. Nathaniel Bacon was the leader who stepped up to the job when no one else would even though "he probably cared more about fighting Indians than about helping the poor"(37, Zinn). First, he went with the formal way of getting things done and went to the government for help. He asked Governor Berkeley to provide commission for a frontier army that Bacon would lead against the Indians. When Berkeley discovered this army would be used to drive the Indians away, he immediately refused to provide for Bacon and his soldiers. So, with Bacon's idea rejected by the government, he went with the next way of getting things done which seemed like the only way to get this particular job done the way Bacon wanted it done. Soon after the plan was rejected by the governor, Bacon started to round up his army to be ready to start the rebellion against the Indians. Many of the men who decided to work with Bacon in the rebellion were poor colonists who were tired of the Indians taking more and more of what little land they had. Once Bacon had his men, he "was ready to send armed militias, or armed groups of citizens, to fight the Indians" (37, Zinn). The rebellion didn't last long because Bacon died of an illness, unknown specifically of what it was, and when he died the army basically fell apart.
After the rebellion, a ship was sent from England to restore order in Virginia. The captain of the ship, Thomas Grantham, who "found four hundred armed whites and blacks- freemen, servents, and slaves"(38, Zinn) who "he promised to pardon them and to free [them]"(38, Zinn), but instead his ships attacked them. After that, "twenty-three rebel leaders were hanged" (38, Zinn) just for rebelling. Many of the other rebels were extremely upset with this and the fact that "the whole colony, rich and poor, was being used by England" (39, Zinn). Once the colonists realized they were being controlled by England they wanted "to take control out of the king's hands and into their own" (39, Zinn).
Many people were bound for America, little did they know what they were getting into. Most of them "came to North America as servants"(41, Zinn), and were coming because they heard life in America was better than in England for poorer people. Their decision to come America turned out to be a bad one because they "signed an agreement called an indenture that said that they would [have to] repay the cost of their journey to America by working for a master for five or seven years" (40, Zinn). The voyage over wasn't easy either. They were kept in the most inhumane conditions imaginable. Once they were taken in by an American they were not treated any better than on the ship. "Beatings and whippings were common" (42, Zinn) amongst the indentured servants. If the servants tried to escape they were to be returned to their rightful owner and then the owner could do whatever they wanted with them because they were their 'property'. Numerous amounts of slaves did run off because of the lack of food and personal time allowed to them by their 'owners'.
The colonists population grew "from one-quarter of a million people to more than a million and a half" (46, Zinn) between 1700 and 1760. Population wasn't the only thing that grew in that period of time, because the population increased so much "agriculture, shipping, and trading [also] grew"(46, Zinn). Even with all the increases happening, mostly only the upper class benefited from them. 1713 was a rough year with a "severe food shortage" (47, Zinn). This brought violence and riots. One riot "broke into Belcher's warehouses looking for food, and shot the lieutenant governor of the colony" (47, Zinn). Later on England fought many wars that benefited few colonists, mostly rich ones. The wars brought "high[er] taxes, unemployment, and poverty [to the already poor colonists]"(48, Zinn), thus angering the poor colonists more.
After the rebellion, a ship was sent from England to restore order in Virginia. The captain of the ship, Thomas Grantham, who "found four hundred armed whites and blacks- freemen, servents, and slaves"(38, Zinn) who "he promised to pardon them and to free [them]"(38, Zinn), but instead his ships attacked them. After that, "twenty-three rebel leaders were hanged" (38, Zinn) just for rebelling. Many of the other rebels were extremely upset with this and the fact that "the whole colony, rich and poor, was being used by England" (39, Zinn). Once the colonists realized they were being controlled by England they wanted "to take control out of the king's hands and into their own" (39, Zinn).
Many people were bound for America, little did they know what they were getting into. Most of them "came to North America as servants"(41, Zinn), and were coming because they heard life in America was better than in England for poorer people. Their decision to come America turned out to be a bad one because they "signed an agreement called an indenture that said that they would [have to] repay the cost of their journey to America by working for a master for five or seven years" (40, Zinn). The voyage over wasn't easy either. They were kept in the most inhumane conditions imaginable. Once they were taken in by an American they were not treated any better than on the ship. "Beatings and whippings were common" (42, Zinn) amongst the indentured servants. If the servants tried to escape they were to be returned to their rightful owner and then the owner could do whatever they wanted with them because they were their 'property'. Numerous amounts of slaves did run off because of the lack of food and personal time allowed to them by their 'owners'.
The colonists population grew "from one-quarter of a million people to more than a million and a half" (46, Zinn) between 1700 and 1760. Population wasn't the only thing that grew in that period of time, because the population increased so much "agriculture, shipping, and trading [also] grew"(46, Zinn). Even with all the increases happening, mostly only the upper class benefited from them. 1713 was a rough year with a "severe food shortage" (47, Zinn). This brought violence and riots. One riot "broke into Belcher's warehouses looking for food, and shot the lieutenant governor of the colony" (47, Zinn). Later on England fought many wars that benefited few colonists, mostly rich ones. The wars brought "high[er] taxes, unemployment, and poverty [to the already poor colonists]"(48, Zinn), thus angering the poor colonists more.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
They say; Bacon's Rebellion
The first known rebellion of the English Colonies was an uprising called Bacon's Rebellion of 1676. This rebellion all began when Virginians disagreed over the Indian policy in Virginia. Many colonists weren't satisfied with how the Indians were handled so they decided to do something about it. Nathaniel Bacon was the leader who stepped up to the job when no one else would even though "he probably cared more about fighting Indians than about helping the poor"(37, Zinn). First, he went with the formal way of getting things done and went to the government for help. He asked Governor Berkeley to provide commission for a frontier army that Bacon would lead against the Indians. When Berkeley discovered this army would be used to drive the Indians away, he immediately refused to provide for Bacon and his soldiers. So, with Bacon's idea rejected by the government, he went with the next way of getting things done which seemed like the only way to get this particular job done the way Bacon wanted it done. Soon after the plan was rejected by the governor, Bacon started to round up his army to be ready to start the rebellion against the Indians. Many of the men who decided to work with Bacon in the rebellion were poor colonists who were tired of the Indians taking more and more of what little land they had. Once Bacon had his men, he "was ready to send armed militias, or armed groups of citizens, to fight the Indians" (37, Zinn). The rebellion didn't last long because Bacon died of an illness, unknown specifically of what it was, and when he died the army basically fell apart.
After the rebellion, a ship was sent from England to restore order in Virginia. The captain of the ship, Thomas Grantham, who "found four hundred armed whites and blacks- freemen, servents, and slaves"(38, Zinn) who "he promised to pardon them and to free [them]"(38, Zinn), but instead his ships attacked them. After that, "twenty-three rebel leaders were hanged" (38, Zinn) just for rebelling. Many of the other rebels were extremely upset with this and the fact that "the whole colony, rich and poor, was being used by England" (39, Zinn). Once the colonists realized they were being controlled by England they wanted "to take control out of the king's hands and into their own" (39, Zinn).
Many people were bound for America, little did they know what they were getting into. Most of them "came to North America as servants"(41, Zinn), and were coming because they heard life in America was better than in England for poorer people. Their decision to come America turned out to be a bad one because they "signed an agreement called an indenture that said that they would [have to] repay the cost of their journey to America by working for a master for five or seven years" (40, Zinn). The voyage over wasn't easy either. They were kept in the most inhumane conditions imaginable. Once they were taken in by an American they were not treated any better than on the ship. "Beatings and whippings were common" (42, Zinn) amongst the indentured servants. If the servants tried to escape they were to be returned to their rightful owner and then the owner could do whatever they wanted with them because they were their 'property'. Numerous amounts of slaves did run off because of the lack of food and personal time allowed to them by their 'owners'.
Bacon's rebellion may have seemed like a good idea at the time but in the end nothing worked out like it was planned. The government eventually got a handle on all the disruptions and everything went back to 'normal' for a while, if beating, starving, and forcing innocent people to work as personal property to others socially and politically higher than them is normal. No human being deserves to be treated as property and Bacon's rebellion didn't help prevent that from happening, if anything, it added to the number of innocent people being forced into work as slaves.
After the rebellion, a ship was sent from England to restore order in Virginia. The captain of the ship, Thomas Grantham, who "found four hundred armed whites and blacks- freemen, servents, and slaves"(38, Zinn) who "he promised to pardon them and to free [them]"(38, Zinn), but instead his ships attacked them. After that, "twenty-three rebel leaders were hanged" (38, Zinn) just for rebelling. Many of the other rebels were extremely upset with this and the fact that "the whole colony, rich and poor, was being used by England" (39, Zinn). Once the colonists realized they were being controlled by England they wanted "to take control out of the king's hands and into their own" (39, Zinn).
Many people were bound for America, little did they know what they were getting into. Most of them "came to North America as servants"(41, Zinn), and were coming because they heard life in America was better than in England for poorer people. Their decision to come America turned out to be a bad one because they "signed an agreement called an indenture that said that they would [have to] repay the cost of their journey to America by working for a master for five or seven years" (40, Zinn). The voyage over wasn't easy either. They were kept in the most inhumane conditions imaginable. Once they were taken in by an American they were not treated any better than on the ship. "Beatings and whippings were common" (42, Zinn) amongst the indentured servants. If the servants tried to escape they were to be returned to their rightful owner and then the owner could do whatever they wanted with them because they were their 'property'. Numerous amounts of slaves did run off because of the lack of food and personal time allowed to them by their 'owners'.
Bacon's rebellion may have seemed like a good idea at the time but in the end nothing worked out like it was planned. The government eventually got a handle on all the disruptions and everything went back to 'normal' for a while, if beating, starving, and forcing innocent people to work as personal property to others socially and politically higher than them is normal. No human being deserves to be treated as property and Bacon's rebellion didn't help prevent that from happening, if anything, it added to the number of innocent people being forced into work as slaves.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
"'Political Economy' of the Body" - Quote #3
"In the darkest region of the political field the condemned man represents the symmetrical, inverted figure of the king."
This quote is saying that in the smallest corner in the political system the man that people frown upon is the exact opposite from the king. That person is the opposite from what people want them to be like, they are the least powerful and furthest from the king on the 'political ladder'. The lowest people in politics are the exact opposite of the king because the king is powerful and the leader and the condemned man has little to no power in politics.
This quote is saying that in the smallest corner in the political system the man that people frown upon is the exact opposite from the king. That person is the opposite from what people want them to be like, they are the least powerful and furthest from the king on the 'political ladder'. The lowest people in politics are the exact opposite of the king because the king is powerful and the leader and the condemned man has little to no power in politics.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
"'Political Economy' of the Body" - Quote Responses
1. This quote is saying that the human body is directly connected to politics. The more power or confidence you have in yourself then the more you can accomplish. Sometimes depending on your ethnicity or color of your skin you have more or less power. For example, African Americans were most commonly slaves, and people of other races, more specifically white people, looked down upon African Americans just because of their race and many white people thought they were better than African Americans just because of their skin color. People who mark up their bodies with tattoos and piercings are sometimes seen as dirty and bad.
2. The body is only useful when it is being productive or doing something helpful for itself or others. It is good when the body has some sort of power over someone else, or can dominate over someone else. It is also useful when you are forced to do something that you don't want to do so you can learn something from it.
2. The body is only useful when it is being productive or doing something helpful for itself or others. It is good when the body has some sort of power over someone else, or can dominate over someone else. It is also useful when you are forced to do something that you don't want to do so you can learn something from it.
American Tobacco and European Consumers
King James stated that the English Colonies in the Chesapeake were mostly developed on smoke and tobacco. Colonies were highly successful in the tobacco industry because Europeans were willing to pay large amounts of money for tobacco. They used tobacco for many different reasons including sniffing, chewing, and drinking. During the 16th century, Europe received its first shipment of tobacco and physicians were overjoyed. They believed it was a ‘wonder drug’ that would help cure people that were sick, and also keep people healthy that weren’t already sick. Between the 17th and 18th centuries the amount of tobacco imported to Europe increased rapidly, growing from about 25,000 pounds to 40 million. Tobacco changed the face of Europe. New industries emerged to produce all different kinds of pipes to aid people in smoking tobacco. Industries also needed to make boxes and tins to store unused tobacco, pipe cleaners, and some way to light up the tobacco. Smoking became an addiction for many people and they would even keep a pipe near their pillow so that if the urge to smoke arose in the middle of the night they wouldn’t have to go far to satisfy the need for a light. It is clear that tobacco changed the way Europe operated and Chesapeake is to thank for it, whether it be a good or bad thing.
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