Death of Bacon.- Bacon now had all Virginia with him, and he was full of hope that he could establish for the colony a free government subject to Great Britain; but he did not live long enough to carry out any of his plans. During the siege of Jamestown he contracted a fatal sickness; and in October, 1676, he died at the house of Mr. Pate, in Gloucester. He was secretly buried by his faithful followers, and the place of his interment has never been discovered. Collapse of the Rebellion. At the news of Bacon's death there was widespread dismay; and a momentous change at once took place. There was Ruins of Jamestown no leader to succeed him; and his followers became broken up into separate bands, which Sir William Berkeley attacked and defeated in detail. The people grew weary of the desultory warfare that was carried on, in many cases, it appeared, only for plunder and revenge, and longed for a return of peace. Berkeley exerted himself to encourage this pacific spirit. Finally, he entered into negotiations with Ingram and Wakelet, two of the most influential leaders, offering them full pardon if they would lay down their arms; and upon these terms they surrendered. Thus the rebellion which, in September, 1676, was tri umphant everywhere, had, by the end of the year, fallen to pieces for lack of a head; and Governor Berkeley was again in authority. Berkeley's Revenge. Now that Sir William Berkeley was in possession of the government again, instead of adopting a policy calculated to heal the wounds of the colony, he displayed a spirit of revenge, which seemed to kill all humane feelings in his heart. He threw into prison many who had been prominent in the rebellion; and, knowing that when they were brought to trial they would be cleared by juries, he established martial law, by which men were condemned to death without fair trial, and then hurried off to execution.1 Thus he brought about a reign of terror in the land, no man knowing when he might be arrested and hanged. Finally, after twenty-three executions had taken place, the House, of Burgesses, in February, 1677, restrained him, by voting an address “that the governor would spill no more blood." "Had we let him alone," said one of the members, “he would have hanged half the country." "The old fool," exclaimed Charles II., on hearing of Berkeley's acts, "has hanged more men in that naked country than I have done for the murder of my father!" Berkeley's Recall and Death. -Sir William Berkeley was recalled by the king, and passed out of office on the 27th of April, 1677. When he departed, the Virginians kindled bonfires and fired salutes, while a wave of joy passed over the land. On reaching England, he found that his conduct in Virginia was looked upon with horror by his friends, and that he was not sustained by the king. All 1 Drummond was captured, and Berkeley, after telling him that he should be hanged in half an hour, had him executed in a very short time. Lawrence escaped from the colony and was never heard of afterwards. this is said to have broken his heart, and on July 13, 1677, he died under a load of infamy, which dimmed the fair reputation he had won in his youth. QUESTIONS 1. What did the king promise? 2. Did he send a new charter at once? 3. What cause for alarm now demanded attention? 4. Give an account of the Indian depredations. 5. How did Governor Berkeley treat the appeal of the people for protection? 6. Of what did they suspect him? 7. Finally, what action did the people take? 8. Who was Nathaniel Bacon, and why was he chosen leader? 9. What fact attested the esteem in which he was held? Io. Give the names of two other men chosen. 11. What request did Bacon make of Governor Berkeley? 12. Was it granted? 13. By whose authority did Bacon set out, and what news reached him? 14. In the meantime what action had the governor taken? 15. By what was he prevented from carrying out his plan? 16. What did he do now? 17. What was the sentiment of the new House of Burgesses? 18. Tell of Bacon's arrest and apology. 19. Give an account of his flight from Jamestown and return. 20. What did he demand from the governor? 21. On what subjects did Bacon address the Burgesses, and with what result? 22. Why did Berkeley dissolve the House of Burgesses, and repair to Gloucester? 23. What did he again declare Bacon? 24. What did the people inform Berkeley? 25. On hearing the governor's proclamation, what did Bacon do? 26. Where had Berkeley gone? 27. What proclamation did Bacon make? 28. Give an account of the convention at Middle Plantation. 29. To what did Bacon now turn his attention? 30. Tell of Berkeley's return to Jamestown. 31. Give an account of the burning of Jamestown. 32. What is left to mark the site of Virginia's ancient capital? 33. Tell of Bacon's death. 34. What happened when the people heard of his death? 35. How did Berkeley try to pacify them? 36. In what way did he seek revenge? 37. Finally what did the House of Burgesses have to do? REVIEW QUESTIONS 1. Give an account of the struggle in England between the king and Parliament. 2. What was the Commonwealth of England? 3. How did it assert its authority in Virginia, and how did the colony prosper under its rule ? 4. What is said of the restoration of Charles II. ? 5. What were the navigation laws, and how did they affect the commerce of Virginia ? 6. Tell of the oppressive colonial legislation, and of Berkeley's obstinacy. 7. What is said of the criminal prodigality of Charles II., and to what did it lead ? 8. Who was Nathaniel Bacon ? 9. Why did Berkeley declare Bacon and his men rebels? 10. Give the leading facts of Bacon's Rebellion up to the convention at Middle Plantation. II. What was done at this convention ? 12. Describe the destruction of Jamestown. 13. Tell of Bacon's death, and the collapse of the Rebellion. 14. Describe Berkeley's revenge, and his death. CHAPTER XII FROM BACON'S REBELLION TO THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR After Bacon's Rebellion. The efforts of the people under Bacon to secure better government ended in failure. All the tyrannical legislation that had been enacted, in cluding the restriction of the suffrage, was put into full operation again; and freedom in the colony depended entirely on the royal will, except in so far as the inhabitants enjoyed the rights of Englishmen, which the common law accorded them. The rebellion was made a pretext by the king for refusing the liberal charter he had promised; and the one that was finally sent over was unsatisfactory, and did not contain a single political franchise. The Tobacco Rebellion. So dissatisfied were the people that they would have revolted again had not the disastrous effects of Bacon's Rebellion been fresh in their minds. As it was, small disturbances did occur, notably one which is known as the Tobacco Rebellion. This was partly the result of a law passed by the House of Burgesses to encourage the building of towns, which required ships to be loaded at specified places on the rivers instead of at the different plantations, the idea being that the observance of this law would render the erection of warehouses necessary, and that thus the foundations of cities would be laid. Many planters refused to obey the law, and, as ships were not |