One of the main results of Bacon’s Rebellion was a shift in policies concerning the treatment of indentured servants and the establishment of a more rigid racial caste system in Virginia.
The rebellion, which took place in 1676, was led by Nathaniel Bacon, a colonist who was frustrated with the Virginia governor, William Berkeley, for his inability to protect frontier settlers from Native American attacks. Bacon and his followers, primarily consisting of poor farmers and laborers, took matters into their own hands by attacking Native American tribes, which ultimately escalated into a conflict against the colonial government.
As a response to the uprising, the colonial elite began to fear the potential for further insurrections from poor white settlers. This fear prompted them to reconsider their reliance on indentured servitude as a labor system. Instead, they started to turn towards African slavery, which offered a more permanent and controllable labor force. By creating a racialized system of slavery, the elite could better maintain control over labor and mitigate the risks of future rebellions. Consequently, Bacon’s Rebellion had lasting implications for the development of race relations and labor practices in the colonies.