Revised: What "They Say" About Bacon's Rebellion

In recent discussion of Bacon's Rebellion, one controversial issue has been whether Bacon was a real hero, or just a warmongering lawbreaker. Whenever the topic is brought up, a lot of people immediately recall records of Bacon's ruthless hostility toward the Native Americans. Events recorded by writers like Michael J Puglisi shed light on the happenings that occurred during the rebellion. On page seventy-eight of his article, "Whether They be Friends or Foes," Puglisi recounts that "Bacon's extra-legal army, bent on revenge, attacked the peaceful Indian village, located in the Dragon Swamp, although it was well known to the whole country that the Queen of Pamunkey and her People had never at any time betrayed or injured the English." In making this comment, Puglisi is illustrating the inhumanity of Bacon and his actions. Puglisi goes on to say "The natives, including their leader, fled. Bacon an his forces followed, killing and taking them prisoners, and looking for... Plunder." Basically, Puglisi is showing how Bacon and his supporters unfairly and needlessly terrorized the Native Americans. The Natives were the victims here. Puglisi realized that Bacon had a bit of unreasonable thirst for revenge on the Native Americans. And this vengefulness was one of the main motivating factors for Bacon's barbarous actions. The writer Howard Zinn agrees on page thirty-seven of his book, "A Young People's History of the United States", when he writes about Bacon: "he probably cared more about fighting Indians than about helping the poor."

But on the other hand, there are many that believe Bacon was a hero that helped put an end to brutal Native attacks. There were, in fact, many instances where Native Americans would attack and kill defenseless white colonist, including women and children. Bacon's solution was to no longer be defenseless, but to instead bear arms and repel the savage attacks. An anonymous Virginia resident writes, "for in a very short time [in January 1676, the Susquehannahs] had, in a most humane manner, murthered no less then 60 innocent people, no ways guilty of any actuall injury don to these ill disarning, brutish heathen." This recounting is a prime example of Native brutality toward innocent colonist. The brutality of the Native Americans is expounded by the writings of Elizabeth Bacon, who is Nathaniel Bacon's wife. In a letter to Nathaniel Bacon's sister in London, Elizabeth Bacon writes, "I pray God keep the worst Enemy I have from ever being in such a sad condition as I have been in since my (previous letter to you), occasioned by the troublesome Indians." Bacon's point is that the terror being caused by the Natives is so cruel, that no human should have to experience it. Not even her "worst enemy," which in this case would probably be the Native Americans. Obviously, there was not a total tone of revenge during the rebellion. Instead, there seemed to be a longing for some relief, restitution, and change. And this is exactly what Nathaniel Bacon hoped and planned to bring to the colonist. As Bacon stated in his very own words, "finding that the country was basely for a small and sordid gain betrayed, and the lives and fortunes of the poor inhabitants wretchedly sacrificed, resolved to stand up in this ruinous gap, and rather expose my life and fortune to all hazards than basely desert my post and by so bad an example make desolate a whole country in which no one dared to stir against the common Enemy." Basically, Bacon wanted to bring a positive change to the Virginia colonies. He understood that his life would be at stake, but he still refused to stand idly by as his fellow colonist continued to suffer.