104 THE GREEN RISING 



transportation privileges was given to the large 

 planters. It often happened that the small farmer 

 failed to obtain shipping facilities for any of his 

 crop and it was, therefore, left on his hands without 

 a market. When he did get to ship all or a part of 

 his crop, it was often the case that his profits were 

 absorbed in exorbitant freight charges. 



At the tune this injustice was being most keenly 

 felt, an Indian outbreak occurred which the inef- 

 ficient Governor Berkeley made no effort to stop. 

 Finally the savages laid waste an outlying farm 

 owned by Nathaniel Bacon, an energetic young 

 planter who had only recently arrived in the colony. 

 Bacon felt greatly outraged, both because of the 

 plunder of his farm and the indifference of the 

 colonial authorities. He immediately assumed lead- 

 ership of a body of volunteer troops and pursued the 

 Indians. In two brief campaigns he completely 

 conquered the Indian marauders. Berkeley resented 

 the unauthorized military activities of Bacon and 

 declared him and his troops to be rebels. This pre- 

 cipitated a civil war. 



The social significance of the struggle soon became 

 apparent. Most of the small planters and farm 

 laborers joined the forces of Bacon, while the large 

 landlords aligned themselves with Berkeley's cause. 

 Bacon besieged Jamestown and forced the Governor 

 to flee, but the death of Bacon left the belligerent 

 forces without a leader, and the rebellion ended. 

 This uprising was not without its beneficial results. 



