Enslaved rebels fight for freedom: Nathaniel Bacon’s 1676 slave rebellion

Review of periodical literature for 2021

“…Thus, while violence could be spearheaded as a protest against a perceived excess of ‘privilege’ (as Waddell found), it could also be legitimized by those in positions of power. Revolt was a means of negotiating freedom for Black enslaved people in Nathaniel Bacon's rebellion against the governor in Virginia in 1675–6 and was the subject of Iverson's article for Atlantic Studies this year. Using evidence from petitions, correspondence, and other official documentation, he demonstrates that while this was ostensibly a revolt against class and a war on Native Americans, Bacon's promise of liberty to all enslaved Black people and white indentured servants if they fought for him made this part of another war against slavery.…”