Why did Bacons Rebellion occur, and why was it so important in terms of American slavery?
Answer Hi Cody, Bacon’s Rebellion was not really about slavery. Bacon and his followers were farmers living on the frontier closest to most of the Indians. They decided, against government policy, to kill all Indians, regardless of whether they were friendly or hostile. They felt justified in this because members of even the “friendly” tribes would occasionally attack their farms and steal their property. Many of those who joined the Rebellion were indentured servants. They included both black and white servants working together against the government. Some historians say the government and the colony’s elites took this precedent to move the colony away from indentured servitude and toward chattel slavery as a way of dividing the poor. However, the laws moving the colony in this direction were passed before the Rebellion. In my view, the Rebellion had very little to do with the transition to chattel slavery as the primary source of labor in the colony.
