Chelsea Robinson  Leader
     Bacon's Rebellion of the Chesapeake Colonies
Anita Giddens  Assistant Leader
     Education & Religion of The Chesapeake Colonies
Natalie Thornton  Technical Expert
     Women's Role of The Chesapeake Colonies
Patricia Odegai  Researcher
     Introduction & Conclusion
Melodie Frisby  Researcher
     Professions of The Chesapeake Colonies
Kameka Taylor  Researcher
     Evolution and Tobacco of the Chesapeake Colonies
Kim
Government of the Chesapeake Colonies

The Chesapeake Colonies refer to Virgina and Maryland.  The colonies where mostly made up of Plantations on which the owners grew Tobacco which appeared to be the mainstay of the colony.  There was little urban development.  The hard work and day to day planting and harvesting of this crop Tobacco was done by indentured serventsand slaves.  Indenture was a system whereby servants would typically work four to seven years in exchange for passage, room, board, lodging and eventually freedom dues.  Over the years, the population of these indentured slaves would greatly reduce due to disease.
The main form of religion was Anglican.  However, there were Catholics found mostly in Maryland.
We would not be able to look at life in the Chesapeake colonies without examining the government and politics of that region.  The region was ruled by Governor William Berkeley.  He appointed justices of the peace, who set tax rates and saw to the building and maintenance of public works, such as bridges and roads.  In the 1650s, thecolonial system adopted a bicameral pattern: the House of Burgesses (the elected lower house) and an appointed Governor's Council.  The assembly met regularly, not so much for representative government as for the opportunity to raise taxes.

While Spain and France had absolute monarchies, Britain's monarchy was limited.  A limited or constitutional monarchy is a state in which the power of the monarch is checked by other constitutionally sanctioned institutions such as a representative assembly
On August 14, 1619, in Jamestown the first general assembly was held in a little church beside the James river.  Thirty men were present.  The body of men were called "burgesses" and were able to pass many laws as well as make many revisions to what was called the "Greate Charter."
Delegates to the newly created House of Burgesses were to be elected by the inhabitants of the colony, or the "freeman," a term that includes the indentured servants.  Among the members of the assembly were a six member ggovernor's council, a speaker by the name of John Pory and twenty two burgesses who represented the plantations.  Two from each of the eleven districts.
Among the first laws passed were ones that restricted personal behavior.  Within six days, the burgesses had approved stern punishments against gambling, drunkenness, immorality, idleness, and excessive apparel.  All colonists were required to attend two church services held every Sunday and they enacted a measure that required each city, borough, or plantation to educate the Indian children.

The House of Burgess was modeled after the English Parliament where members would meet at least yearly with their governor to decide local laws and local taxation.  Most colonists, like their European counterparts, assumed great men should bear the responsibility of government.
In 1670, the House of Burgesses outlawed voting by poor men, permitting only men who headed a household and were landowners to vote.
The tradition established by the House of Burgess was paramount to colonial development by each new colony demanding its own legislature.

The first half of the seventeenth century prompted social and political polarization for the Chesapeake era.  During this time of evolution, the increased need of indentured servants came about, the growth of tobacco emerged,while government and political conflicts continued to escalate.

This era brought about yeoman, who were farmers that owned a small piece of land to support a family and a few family members.  The families who had higher social status, had larger estates that required the use of more indentured servants.  Indentured servants were typically a white laborer or tradesman who is bonded or contracted to work for another for a specified time.  Servants awaited until their indentures expired so that they would become free and could eventually own land.  Unfortunately, the lifespan of men was short therefore enabling planters to acquire large amounts of income that would allow them to be set apart from the "lower class" planters.  According to The American Promise, "the principal division in Chesapeake society was between rich and poor planters than between free farmers and free servants." (TAP p.70)

Three major developments of opportunity came about during this time.  The first was the increased growth of tobacco.  To cultivate tobacco, planters brought in large numbers of English workers, mostly men who came as indentured servants.  Because of the reduced prices, it impaired the planters profits and made it difficult for freed servants to sustain enough wealth to become land owners.  Tobacco remained the epitome of the Chesapeake colonies and was a great aspect during this era.The success of tobacco cultivation brought about economic prosperity.  The tobacco cultivation provided the Chesapeake colonies their main source of income.  The increase of tobacco production also had its downfalls.  Due to cost instability and the quality of the tobacco, the reduce in prices affected the survival of the colonist as a whole.  This caused a adverse reaction from the colonist as they began to utilize other forms of material to mix with the tobacco to appear as an increase in quantity to make up for their losses.  This bizarre plan backfired and gave the once respectable colonial society a bad reputation.  Secondly, the mortality rate decreased and more servants ulled through their indentured while the free servants who were without land became more scarce and grew more disgruntled.  Lastly, the decline in mortality encouraged the development of noble planters.  The longevity of the noble planters attributed to their rate of success and allowed them to help their neighbors who were in need.
By the 1670's, the society of Chesapeake showed great conflict between the landowners and the landkess colonist.  THe noble planters and the yeoman planters assembled togetherwhile the freed servants gathered among each other.  Both groups viewed the opposed with skepticism and apprehension.  The elite planters saw the landless freeman as a threat rather than an accomplice with legitimate resentment.  Governor William Berkley feared political threat to the governing elite posed by "six parts in seven (of Virginia colonist)... are poor, indebted, discontented, and armed." (TAP p. 70)
Government and politics were the power behind the Chesapeake society.  The separation between servants and masters were of the utmost importance and the government enforced it with "integrity."  Poor men, such as William Tyler, complained that "neither the Governor nor Council could or would do any poor men right, but that they would favor great men and wrong the poor." (TAP p.70)  The colonist assumed that "great men" should take in the responsiblity of government.  Until 1670, freemen could vote an elected elite planter to the legislature.  Tyler and other poor Virginians felt like the government abused their power to promote their likings versus governing unbiased.
As anger and frustration grew among the poor, officials made every attempt to keep the political powers sade.  "In 1670, the House of Burgess outlawed voting by poor men permitting only men who headed a household and were landowners to vote." (TAP p.71) The House of Burgesswas the first colonial legislature where male adult landowners would meet to make laws. (video lecture)
The Navigation Acts of 1650 and 1651 stated that colonial goods could only be transported in "English ships" by "English crews".  A new act in 1663 required products to be sent to English ports and stipulated that all goods sent to the colonies may pass through English ports and be carried by English ships manned by English sailors.  The end result was the assumption of the English government that colonial policy was determined by the satisfaction of England.  The Navigation Act imported taxes on every pound of tobacco brought into England.  These taxes supplied a guarter of all revenue and the flourishing importance of the Chesapeake colonies in England's Atlantic empire. (TAP p.71)

Bacon's Rebellion was about a man Nathaniel Bacon who organized an excursion against the Indians for protection and revenge of the frontier settlers. Bacon was a man with defensive and rebellious intentions of declaring a war against the Governor William Berkeley who refused to listen to what the people of the Chesapeake Colonies were trying to tell him.

Here is a little background information on each leader that lead to the legacy of Bacon's Rebellion in the 1600's. Nathaniel Bacon was born January 2^nd 1647 British-born American Colonial planter, he was the leader of Bacon's Rebellion and then died October 1676. (Son of the South)

William Berkeley was born in 1606. He was the British Colonial Governor during the Bacon's Rebellion, he introduced crop diversification, encouraged manufacturing and went up against Nathaniel Bacon during the 1600's.(Son of the South)

“Bacon's declaration challenged the economic and political privileges of the governor's circle of favorites, while announcing the principle of the consent of the people.” (Declaration of 1676). Once Bacon arouse against Governor William Berkeley, “Governor Berkeley pronounced Bacon a rebel, threatened to punish him for treason, and called for new elections of burgesses who, Berkeley believed, would endorse his get-tough policy. To Berkeley's surprise, the elections backfired.” (TAP p.90)

Frustrations grew strong when the frontiers of the Chesapeake struggled economically and could not stand that Governor Berkeley was not supportive of their survival conflict. Instead, he was more interested in how he could make money off the Indians for himself. Berkeley was a selfish leader who eventually got what he deserved and was voted out of the office. “Almost all the old burgesses were voted out of the office, and they were replaced by local leaders, including Bacon.” (TAP p.90)

“In June 1676, the new legislature passed a series of reform measures know as Bacon's Laws. Among other changes, the laws gave local settlers a voice in setting tax levies, forbade officeholders from demanding bribes or other extra fees for carrying out their duties, placed limits on holding multiple office, and restored the vote to all freemen.”(TAP p. 91)

To conclude, Nathaniel Bacon was a man of honor to many people that lived in the frontier. Bacon knew that Berkeley was a bad man and someone needed to step up and get him out of office. Even though many lives were lost, the fight and rebellious actions helped change the the laws and legislature of the Chesapeake Colonies.

Education in the Chesapeake Colonies consisted of practical studies.  The Chesapeake colonies academic education was the means to learn how to read the bible.  The academic education was religion.  In order to be saved, they had to be able to read the bible.  In addition, another reason for academic education was for the need of ministry.  Often time, the parent would hire a schoolmaster to home teach the children writing skills or accounting.  The Chesapeake colonies would teach the girls to read and then they were eventually made to sew.
Religion was the most important attribute of the Chesapeake colonial life.  The Chesapeake Colonies life was difficult with a lot of disruption.  Their religion gave them comfort and they believed that there was an afterlife.  During colonial times the life expectancy was so short for both the males and females that minor children were often left behind.  These children were often raised by family members.  The Chesapeake colonies held on to their strong religion for comfort, strength and peace.  Regardlessof difficult times, the Chesapeakes kept a religious attitude and culture.