Colonial Rebellions

Bacon’s Rebellion

• 1676 - 1677, Virginia

• Led by Nathaniel Bacon

• Causes:

  • High taxes with falling tobacco prices

  • No protection from Native American raids

  • Governor William Berkeley’s policies

• Effects:

  • Race-based slavery

  • End of indentured servitude (for white laborers)

  • Aggressive acts against Native Americans

Leisler’s Rebellion

• 1689 - 1691, New York

• Led by Nathaniel Leisler

• Causes:

  • Tension between NY residents and British government officials

  • Power vacuum after King James II was overthrown

• Leisler basically took control of the colony; refused to yield to royal authority

• Effects:

  • Colony split into two factions

  • English merchants + merchants regained control

Protestant Revolution

• 1689, Maryland

• AKA Coode’s Rebellion

• Led by John Coode

• Causes:

  • Tension between Catholics and Protestants

  • Desire for greater political power by Protestant majority

• Effects

  • End of proprietary rule

  • Loss of religious tolerance for Catholics

March of the Paxton Boys

• 1764, Philadelphia

• Led by Scots-Irish Presbytarians

• Causes:

  • Colonial government’s lack of protection during Pontiac’s War

  • Challenge to Quaker-dominated political power

• Effects:

• Political power shifted away from Quakers

Regulator Movement

• 1765 - 1771, North and South Carolina

• Causes:

  • Unfair taxation/tax collecting methods

  • Lack of law

  • Government corruption

• Effects:

  • Regulators had to surrender and pledge allegiance to the crown

Shay’s Rebellion

• 1786 - 1787; Springfield, Massachusetts

• Causes:

  • Farmers had a lot of debt + high taxes

  • Threats of losing their land

• Effects:

  • Exposed the weakness of the Articles of Confederation

  • Catalyst for constitutional convention that created the Constitution

Whiskey Rebellion

• 1791 - 1794, Western Pennsylvania

• Causes:

  • Alexander Hamilton’s 1791 excise tax on distilled spirits to pay off the Revolutionary War

• Effects:

• First true challenge to federal authority

• Divide between Federalists and Democratic-Republicans

• Precedent to collect taxes and maintain order

What was different about the Whiskey Rebellion?

The Whiskey Rebellion was the first rebellion where the government responded with force (military). It also divided the colonies greatly with political parties, which furthered tensions for the Revolutionary War.