Pick and Choose for a Reason: How Historians Support Their Argument

Pick and Choose for a Reason: How Historians Support their Argument

Most historians have underlying biases, and their biases can rub off on the readers whether the readers know it or not. A historian will never lie about an event to support his claim or argument, but they will leave out some facts to help support it. In this paper I will submit the idea that by comparing Zinn’s depiction of Bacons Rebellion with the authors narrative found in The American Yawp will not only acknowledge the ways historians select facts to assist them in properly explaining their message, but also argues that by historians selecting certain facts can seemingly influence a readers’ view about an event in history.

        When Zinn begins to discuss the reasons and motives behind Bacons Rebellion, he emphasizes that the rebellion began with the specific purpose of crushing the Native Americans but over time morphed into a different type of beast the more the rebellion spread throughout Virginia. Zinn notes that “Bacons Rebellion began with the conflict over how to deal with the Indians...constantly threatening” (40). The way that Zinn presents this is intriguing because he puts emphasis on the word ‘began’. Zinn believes that “Bacon became a symbol of mass resentment against the Virginia establishment” (41), and became a beacon of hope for the people of Virginia who were suffering from their governments tyranny. The population of Virginia used what was initially a white frontiersman war against the Indians to create a state rebellion so large that the British had to send 1,000 redcoats to maintain order. While The American Yawp authors recognize that the rebellion had an anti-government sentiment to it, they mostly assert the fact that it was a rebellion by a group of frontier colonists who wanted to rid the Indians from their land because the government refused to do it for them. The authors of AY make the claim that the rebels “portrayed themselves to frightened Virginians as heroes” against the Indian threat (Chapter 3, Section V). This helps support their argument that the colonists main fear were the Indians, and not the tyranny of the Virginia establishment. The authors of AY also note that “most rebels were more interested in defending their homes and families than in fighting other Englishmen” (Chapter 3, Section V). The authors are highlighting that even though the rebellion had mass support, most colonists and no interest in fighting a battle that didn’t involve them. While Zinn notes that the rebellion morphed into a revolt against the entire Virginia establishment, The American Yawp focus on the idea that many of the colonists involved only wanted to crush the Indian presence. In discussing the reason for rebellion, both works outline the idea that not every colonist had the same motive for rebellion. Although, the facts that the authors selected helped them portray what they believed the rebellion was truly about.

        There are two important faces associated with Bacons Rebellion: Governor of Virginia, Berkeley, and the rebel himself, Nathaniel Bacon. The way Zinn portrays Berkeley and Bacon differs from the way The American Yawp authors portray them. Zinn explains the rebellion as a power struggle between two stubborn, selfish leaders rather than a glorious fight against England and Virginia tyranny. When Zinn first starts talking about Bacon he doesn’t go in to how he is a hero of the Virginian people, but that Bacon really never cared for the people of Virginia. Zinn says that Bacon came from a not so impoverished class compared to a huge part of the Virginia population, and continues to say that “(Bacon) was probably more enthusiastic about killing Indians than redressing the grievances of the poor” (41). It was what he represented, not who he was as a person, that gained him mass respect and support from the people of Virginia. Zinn leaves you with a bad taste about Bacon and what he really stood for. While The American Yawp authors portray Bacon as a man who took a stand against the Virginia establishment, and became a voice that the colonists needed. The authors describe a confrontation between Berkeley and Bacon, saying that Bacon was “threatening to slaughter the entire Assembly if necessary” (Chapter 3, Section V) so he would be blessed his war against the Indians, which he believed was best for the people of Virginia. The authors of American Yawp create this idea that Bacon was fighting for the people of Virginia, and would do anything for them. Unlike Zinn, the authors leave you with the idea that he embodied the same message that the American Revolution had 100 years later.  Shifting focus to Berkeley, Zinn portrays him as a powerful man who only did what he felt was necessary for the success of the Virginia Government and elites. Zinn notes that “in his seventies, tired of holding office, wrote wearily about his situation…” (40) and goes on to quote Berkeley who clearly had little interest in governing discontent colonists. Also Zinn says that he arrested Bacon because he was “working outside of official control” (41) which would have affected the governments’ plan of dividing the Indians so they could control them. Zinn illustrates Berkeley in a way that leaves the reader not knowing if Bacon or Berkeley was the true enemy and cause for the anarchy in Virginia. While The American Yawp characterizes Berkeley as a cautious man, who was more worried with defending friendly Indians than protecting his people. When Bacon died and the rebellion was coming to an end, the authors said that Berkeley “tried and executed the rebel leadership in a succession of kangaroo courts-martial” (Chapter 3, Section V). Berkeley did many despicable actions as governor and executing the rebels without a fair trial was one of them. When the British soldiers arrived they “dispatched Berkeley to England, where he died in disgrace” (Chapter 3, Section V). The AY makes Berkeley out to be a merciless leader who in the end died a failure. Zinn and The American Yawp authors both described the same events of Bacons Rebellion, but the facts they chose to emphasize will result in how the events of the rebellion are views. Whichever work you read will leave you with not only a different view on the leadership of the two sides of the rebellion, but the historic event altogether.

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