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Wed. Feb. 4th = The Culture ofScarcity: Socio-economic divisions and

Bacon's Rebellion (1670s)The Culture of Scarcity: Socio-economic divisions and Bacon's Rebellion (1670s)

1. Why so few slaves in early- to mid-1600s Virginia, despite the huge amount of cheap laborneeded to grow tobacco?

A. Overpopulation & tensions in England, plus offer of headrights & benefitrs of indenturedservitude in the colonies create a large supply of English laborers (early 1600s)

B. Planters can hire indentured servants (2/3 of all immigrants in 1600s) cheaper than buyingslaves [see 1st chart below]

2. Tensions build by late-1600s

A. Navigation Acts (1660-98) cut supply of slaves to British coloniesi. England's wars with the Netherlands (1660-64) closes the Dutch slave trade into theEnglish coloniesii. Mercantilism forbids trade with any non-English colonies (including Portuguese, Spanish& Dutch trade in slaves) [see 2nd chart below]

B. The downside of growth

i. quantity of headrights & freedom dues decreases over time

ii. quality (accessibility) of lands given decreases, increasing the anxieties of recentfreedmen (ex-servants)

C. Bacon's Rebellion

i. fears of Indian wars increase (1675-76)

ii. to deter Indian attacks, Governor Berkeley builds forts in the Backcountry, paid for by apoll tax [see 3rd chart, below]

iii. ex-indentured servants find a leader in Nathaniel Bacon, former counselor to Gov'rBerkeley

a. Bacon's demands reveal divisions between Backcountry farmers and Tidewater planters

b. rebels attack plantations and sack (loot & burn) Jamestown, before Bacon dies ofdysentery

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iv. Legacy: the mystery of Bacon's and his followers' motives

i. personal power struggle with Gov'r Berkeley?

ii. class struggle between farmers and planters?

iii. colonists' greed for more land?

iv. anti-tax/anti-big-government ideology?

v. excuse for racist attack on Indians?

Review of AMST themes:

* land as source of real economic power and the basis for political power (voting)

* "free" still an economic/financial (not racial) status for most of 1600s

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CHARTS:

c.1620s-1650s Cost of Labor in Colonial Virginia:Indentured servants:* availability = high* cost = L.500-1,000* life expectancy = low

* term of service = 5-10 years (average)Slaves:* availability = low* cost = L.1,500* life expectancy = low* term of service = life (+ children until age 21)

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c.1660s-1680s Cost of Labor in Colonial Virginia:

Indentured servants:* availability = low* cost = L.1,000-1,200* life expectancy = high* term of service = 5-7 years (average)

Slaves:* availability = very low

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* cost = L.2,000* life expectancy = high* term of service = life (+ children until age 21)

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1670s farming economy in Virginia, Backcountry vs. Tidewater

Volume of land & crops: low vs. high

Distance to coast: far vs. close

Cost of transporting crops to market/port: far vs. close

Potential profit: low vs. high

Could afford poll tax? no (Backcountry farmers) vs. yes (Tidewaterplanters)