another draft

------Of the new government of Pennsylvania, William Penn wrote in 1682 that “When the great wise God had made the world, of all his creatures , it pleased him to chuse man his Deputy to rule it: and to fit him for so great a charge and trust he did not only quoalify him with skill and power, but with integrity to use them justly. This native goodness was equally his honour and his happiness, and whilst he stood here, all went well; there was no need of coercive or compulsive means; the precept of divine love and truth, in his bossom , was the guide and keeper of his innocency. But lust prevailing against duty, made a lamentable breach upon it[.]” Little did Penn know when he wrote his fundamentals to the new government of Pennsylvania that, not only was he reciting the past, but prophesying an undeniable future. For, since the very creation of the world, it has been human nature that greed will seep through and corrupt even the most “divine” of intentions.
------With the discovery of the New World came new opportunities for power. The saying that “power corrupts and ultimate power corrupts ultimately” has been a theme around literally sense the history of the earliest times, people will often give in to the chance of power. Its recognizable in events even today such as politics, where good intentions don’t always end the way they were well intended. This theme is easily traced to and laced throughout the historical event of Bacons Rebellion . In which through the hope of the people to do good, to succeed in a cause they saw as one of hope, power corruption within the form of Nathaniel Bacon corrupted any and all good intentions and turned it into a bloody battle due to his selfish greed. Some say that this Virginian rebellion occurred because of the governments greed, or maybe even the Indians or Colonist, but without Bacon to connect it all, those fragment are just pieces of a broken puzzle. Nathaniel bacon used the people, and government of the Virginian colony for his own selfish purpose, and in doing so, he began, led and continued Bacon’s Rebellion
------ For years, Virginia had been having trouble between people and government. The people were growing sick and tired of the lack of support shown by their government against the people’s enemy, the government pay check, the Indians. Mathews writes "These [ people] at heads of James and York Rivers.... grew impatient at the many slaughters of their neighbors and rose for their Defense choosing Mr. Bacon for their Leader (2nd paragraph, document 20) . Nathaniel Bacon had many underlying characteristics that put him in the perfect position for the leader of Bacons Rebellion. He known as "blackhair'd and of an ominous, pensive melancholy Aspect ... not much given to talk, ... of a most imperious and dangerous Pride of heart, despising the wiser of his neighbours for their Ignorance, and very ambitious and arrogant."(http://www.bookrags.com/biography/nathaniel-bacon/) This is not the only writing found opiniated against Bacon in this way. This figure portrayed of Bacon, the character, is one that I would see as a time bomb ticking, a machine made to question and go against authority. Pride, a key factor in discomfort of stature, of wanting to be bigger and better is easily a characteristics that you would find in a power hungry man, one especially willing to lead a rebellion for power and other selfish reasons. And then as I continued my research, this was only proven to be more true.
------ Finding that the very reason Bacon had left his home due complications and disagreements with family and government in his previous home of Suffolk England, was no surprise and pushed my search further. Bacon had moved to Jamestown Virginia for a new start. And with help of the Governour , Sir William Berkley the main power within the town, Bacon was able to settle peacefully in two homes along the James River. Sadly, but to no surprise, as I said early he was a “ticking time bomb” the peace did not and of course could not last for long.
-----Common sense seems to dictate that your actions of now depict who you will be later, your life and its events mold you into who you are. A common over looked factor of Bacons Rebellion , is Bacon’s life before Virginia.The similarities between his home of Stiffkey and Virginia leave no surprise that the common and familiar discomfourts of his old life, would rise again in Virginia. From his past in his home of Stiffkey Bacon had already spent time obtaining a bitterness and questionable attitude for authority, “ Bacon was constantly on the lookout for signs of corruption and mismanagement in Church and State, and in this volume his papers are full of evidence patiently collected for some further campaign against he forces of darkness ( usually personified in another equally crotchety Norfolk magnate, Sir Arthur Heveningham, and his ally the Lord Lieutenant, Lord Hundson)’ The “papers” in this quoted referring to Nathaniel \Bacons personal documents and writings , this quoted in an overview of the writing themselves done by Diarmaid MacCulloch. The quote continues talking about causes Bacon yearned for in his home town of Stiffkey, of course most causes going against the powers that be.
------Even early in this writing Bacon’s emotional issues that build a sturdy foundation for our man of the rebellion, are brought up when the topic of marrying off his daughter. it is said it was “ [N]ot without trouble and complication, much of is cause by his own ineptitude in emotional matter: a characteristic most obvious in the more personal correspondence.” What many don’t realize, is that his reaction to the issues of Virginia was more of repetition of routine. Bacon had never been able to control himself, as shown in the previous quotes, “in emotional matters” and any one familiar with Bacons Rebellion can agree that for Bacon and the colonist , and even the Indians , the process was an emotional matter. He had spent his life going against authority ever sense he dropped out of school before earning a degree. Bacon had spent a life of rebellion; it had become his outlet of bitterness towards the things he felt were “the force of darkness” which as an example in previous quotes, usually was authority figures. Virginia was once again a chance to get back at authority for the wrong doing, for the people? No for Bacons own bitterness and greed of power that had consumed him sense very early stages of his life.
-----These conclusions, which Mathwes MacCulloch put forward, shown none the less that Bacons actions were not to help the people, all his life he had been more of a “keep to his self type of guy” and “seems an unhappy figure virtually the only humour in his correspondence occurs in letters from his sister…. Dr smith draws attention to his remarkable lack of contact with hin gentry neighbours except on business; the account books show that they never came to dinner at Stiffkey, and they rarely wrote to him except about administrative matter. Small wonder that this lonely, energetic man turned to religion and politics to fill his day” (The Engligh Historical Review of Diarmaid MacCulloch). There would be no reason to abandon this habit in The New World, he had left home on sore terms, and I doubt was ready to make nice with the world after a life of fighting it.
-------The mind has a tendency to hear and not listen, to look and not see, all according to preference. His Motives were shown clear to those who would see it, but many were easily blinded by the hope of change and chance of their voice being heard that who this chance came from was over looked. Like many aspects of this process of evil winning out good, their views had been corrupted. He had no other gain in this purpose but power, one personal selfish gain that the People of Virginia threw at him from the get go. They had placed him as leader, and once Bacon stirred their anger, he gave them an outlet, a longed for solution that was accessible through him. Similar to the outlets he gave himself towards his anger of authoritative figures. He Earned the peoples trust, and even more important their support, and led them in his twisted emotion , anger led rebellion.
------He had gotten past step one to ultimate control and power of a community. To over power a body you must control the limbs . The parts of this body, the Virginian colony, as reviewed before , was the three main groups, people, government, and last but not least the Indians. So step one was completed, he now controlled the people thanks to their trust they entrusted with him when they made him their leader. Now he just had to use and abuse his new found power, and he directed it at an excellent opportunity, a chance for more power. “This morning all mean were ordered to lay by their Arms... Mr. Bacon with at least 400 on foot ... 120 on horse entered the sandy bay"(3rd paragraph) " his soldiers mounting their Guns ready to fir; Immediately ( for in this minute if not all night have been in a flame) the Burgesses make it their request to the Governor to Issue forth such a commission.... Saturday 24th the forced commission was delivered." (Document 29) What started as the people’s true intentions of changing the community for the better led to threats and force. There had been multiple times previous, where Bacon had asked the government for commission, and every time previous the proposition had been denied. But with this new power, Bacon led the people to threaten and overthrow the government, he let their support lead him further into power.
-----Sense the beginning of Bacons stay in Virginia the governor, Sir William Berkley, and treated him with more than the utmost courtesy. He gave him homes along the river and even placed him on the council but it did not stop there. But it did not stop there in the least, not only did he have power over the government by the number of people which followed him , but he held a soft spot in Berkley’s heart. More, in a way, a seed he had planted in Berkley to sway in his favor. Showing that not only did he lead this rebellion by the luck and stupidity of the people , but truly by his sheer talent for trickery. 'Mr. Bacon have you forgot to be a Gentleman?' "No, may it please your Honour," Answered Mr.Bacon; "Then," replied the Governour. " I'll take your parole," and gave him his liberty."( DOCUMENT #25) This showed that Bacon no longer was under the control of the government, the basic rules began to not apply . This event happened in late May of 1676 and in the following June , in a Assembly based on Bacons arrest , not only was he released from his sentence but after “ Mr. bacon upon one knew at the Bar, deliver a Sheet of paper Confessing his Crimes, and begging Pardon of God the King and the Governour[.]” subsequently, “[T]he Governour, Starting up from his Chair a Third time said , “Mr. Bacon! If you will live Civilly but till the next [session of the] Quarter Court, I’ll promise to restore you again to your place [on the Governor’s Council].” Bacon went from being a convict on trial to once again on the Council, he was able to use his power over the government, thanks to his persuasive qualities , to get out of trial , once again for selfish gain. The hopes of the people in Bacon led to his personal prideful power, which helped lead to his power over government leading to selfish gain of having ultimate control of his surroundings.
-----Now with the sway of Berkley and the possible force of the people to persuade the rest of government, Bacon was able to do as he pleased. More importantly, sense it was now possible he led the people in their battles and massacres against the Indians. He did this to secure his followers which in the same secured his power. Bacon was now able to please the people, which meant the people continued trusting and supporting Bacon, because now he could act with out the government to worry about, they were proven small distractions. He helped increase the conflict between people and government by simply joining it. Bacon grew the anger of the colonists, harnessing their anger then giving power and opportunity to the people to do what they wanted through his overthrowing of the government, to get revenge on the Indians. Nathaniel Bacon began the rebellion with the corruption of the peoples emotions and plans to gain himself power, led it with the trust and support then continued it by creating larger disagreements and anger between the people and the government, and then helped further on the Rebellion by gaining control of the government and using this power to act out against the Indians, other wise known as Bacons rebellion.
----This theme of Bacons Rebellion was not only one of the yesterdays, a reoccurring event that started in the dawn of time and did not end in the 1700’s. The rise and race to the top has become a human instinct. Examples are all around us, in our tycoons, presidents, and great intentions are easily corrupted. And if the power itself won’t corrupt, the money will, passions turn into addictions, good intentions can even turn into positions of fault. Great example is the presidency, constantly, almost with every candidate is example of pure intentions, some not as pure as others, that don’t turn out as many wish. Whether a candidate is running for the power or for the opportunity to make a change, is a question that can only be answered with opinions. But within their actions were given peaks to their thoughts, their passion, whether it be power or change for the better. Where presidents such as bush with great intentions that just don’t turn out for the best , this is an inevitable fate . I know this isn’t finished and needs work but that’s why its my rough J