Colonial society represents a very dark time in American history, consisting of both oppression and tragedy. Wealthy white men controlled the government and reigned control over black slaves, white servants, and women. The cruelty that many minorities faced lead them to seek justice, resulting in serious conflict. Bacon’s rebellion, the Salem Witchcraft Trials, and the Stono Rebellion all depicted significant tensions during colonial society, including tensions among social classes, religious extremism that sparked hysteria, and a revolt lead by the oppressed.
In 1676, a rebellion consisting of white frontiersmen, slaves, and servants infuriated with the current government of Virginia set out to change Indian policy. This would later be known as Bacon’s rebellion. William Berkeley, the governor of Jamestown, took a passive approach and tried to maintain peace with the Indians. However, when many indentured servants completed their contracts and were freed, they found that there was little land left to settle on. Therefore, they pushed into Indian territory, leading to a series of Indian attacks on whites. Nathaniel Bacon, a backcountry farmer, asked Governor Berkeley and the House of Burgesses to help protect the farmers, but Bacon’s plea was denied. Angered by the government’s refusal to protect their own, Bacon rallied over one thousand followers. The followers, however, were not only angered by the lack of protection against Indian raids, but also the unjust taxes, putting favorites in high positions, and monopolizing the beaver trade. Bacon and his followers marched into Jamestown and set the city on fire, sending Governor Berkeley running. The rebels also attacked and killed several Pamunkey Indians, but shortly after the attack Bacon died from dysentery. English troops eventually arrived and defeated the rebels. Slaves and servants were returned to their masters and twenty-three rebel leaders were hanged.
Despite the government’s regain of control, Bacon’s rebellion had instilled fear among aristocrats. The potential for landless free whites to rebel again led the House of Burgesses to create a new source of labor. The government was threatened by the union of black slaves and white servants and implemented a new slave system. The new system created a harsh divide between the two racial classes, preventing whites from aligning with slaves. As more servants finished their contracts, more slaves took their place. Bacon’s rebellion demonstrated that colonial society largely struggled with tensions among the elite and poorer social classes, ultimately leading to America’s cruel system of slavery.
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The Salem Witchcraft Trials in 1692 depicted a time of fear and hysteria. Strong Puritan beliefs surged through the town with religious extremism creating tension among men and women. Puritans believed that women were more likely to follow the devil out of lust or a desire for knowledge. Rumors of witchcraft spread, and Salem’s residents became more on edge when several young girls in the town began displaying odd mannerisms. This led a doctor to conclude that the girls were bewitched. Tituba, a local slave, was the first to be accused, and shortly after a local beggar and an old villager were also accused. The two women accused after Tituba rarely attended church, in which it was believed they rejected Puritan ideals and were more likely to turn to the devil.
There were several ways the Puritans believed you could prove an individual was a witch. Some forms of evidence included birthmarks or moles, the ability to float in water, and spectral evidence. The community soon began turning on one another and the group of young girls continued to accuse more and more innocent townspeople. Siblings and children of the accused were also imprisoned with their loved ones. The trials finally came to an end after the governor of Massachusetts heard his wife had been accused of witchcraft. Over the course of less than a year 200 people were accused. Many individuals confessed to witchcraft and pleaded for mercy. The lives of those who confessed were spared, but twenty people were executed and several others died in jail. The bodies of those convicted were cut up and buried in shallow graves in an attempt to erase their existence. Years later the colony admitted its mistake and compensated the families of those who had been executed or died in jail.
These senseless deaths not only shaped colonial society, but today as well. The lack of concrete evidence during the trials and the belief that women by nature were more sinful created a dangerous atmosphere. Tensions between genders ran high, and religious extremism caused people to forgo their logic and good judgment. While the true reasoning behind the young girls’ motives lay a mystery, it is possible that the lack of power women possessed during colonial society made the power that exists in accusing and convicting others appealing.
In the 1700’s, there was significant tension between slaves and their masters. As the number of African American slaves in America grew, whites became increasingly more fearful of potential slave revolts. In 1739, South Carolina experienced a revolt known as the Stono Rebellion, which greatly impacted the laws governing slaves. Angered by maltreatment and injustice, twenty slaves rebelled. The rebellion began when the slaves stole guns and killed two warehouse guards. The group continued south from the Stono River, burning buildings and killing whites along the way. They marched onward chanting “Liberty”, until approximately eighty slaves joined in. However, the militia found the group and began firing shots. Ultimately, fifty slaves and twenty-five whites were killed before the militia defeated the rebels.
The Stono Rebellion, along with many other uprisings during colonial society prompted each colony to enact the slave codes. It consisted of numerous laws that further restricted a slave’s behavior and rights, as well as implemented harsher punishments. The set of laws restricted slaves from learning to read or write, and prohibited slaves from gathering without the presence of a white person. In addition, marriage was not honored among slaves, allowing white plantation owners to justify their actions when separating families. Slave owners experienced considerable tension and discomfort, and felt it was necessary to abuse their slaves in order to protect themselves from a rebellion. Many of the laws were created to control slave population and deter more revolts. However, the slave codes constructed a colonial society founded on oppression and injustice that can still be seen today.
Whether the colonists were terrified of Indian raids, witchcraft or slave revolts, all three events were lead with brutal violence and fueled by fear. The blood shed in Bacon’s Rebellion, the Salem Witchcraft Trials, and the Stono Rebellion illustrated that tensions among social classes, religion’s influence on gender, and oppressed slaves were at an all time high during colonial society. After these events, new laws were enacted, many only creating more oppression, but others aimed to use the tragedy as a way to fix the justice system.
