Bacon’s Rebellion "The Declaration 1676" Primary Source Analysis
- Grades
- Grades 8–11, High School, Middle School
- File type
- Preparation
- Print ready
- Subject
- Social Studies, History, History: USA
- Topic
- US History, american history
- Resource types
- Worksheets & Printables, Worksheets
- Preparation
- Print ready
About this resource
What's inside this resource
Product description
From the author
At the heart of Bacon's Rebellion were conflicts between the colonial elite, represented by Governor William Berkeley, and the landless frontiersmen who were eager for westward expansion and protection from Native American attacks. These frontiersmen felt that the colonial government was not adequately addressing their concerns. Bacon's Rebellion began as a response to Governor Berkeley's refusal to authorize military action against Native American tribes that were attacking the western settlements. Nathaniel Bacon and his supporters took matters into their own hands, forming an unauthorized militia and launching a series of raids against Native American villages. They argued that protecting the frontier was essential for the colony's survival and accused the governor of being indifferent to their plight. As the rebellion gained momentum, Bacon and his followers expanded their grievances to include broader social and political issues. They criticized Berkeley's administration for its heavy taxation, corruption, and failure to provide representation for smaller landholders. This resonated with many discontented colonists who joined the rebellion.
The students are they asked to read through 4 excerpts from "The Declaration 1676" in which Nathaniel Bacon list his grievances that led to the rebellion. This product comes with a complete teacher key. Ready to use - no prep!
Student version
Teacher Key
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In the classroom
Teaching tips & learning objectives
Learning objectives
Students will define “indentured servant” using a dictionary or textbook and connect the term to the colonists described in the background reading.
Students will identify the causes of Bacon's Rebellion, including land access, lack of colonial protection, and conflict with Native Americans.
Students will read four excerpts from a primary-source 17th-century document and restate each grievance in their own words.
Students will trace the sequence of events from Bacon's uprising through his death and Berkeley's return to power.
Teaching tips
Pre-teach or review 17th-century vocabulary and syntax before students read the four excerpts, since the Declaration's original phrasing (“specious pretenses,” “commonalty”) is dense for modern readers.
Have students complete the five background questions before moving to the excerpts, since the excerpt task assumes they already understand who Bacon and Berkeley are and why the rebellion began.
Use the teacher key's model paraphrases to calibrate how literal versus interpretive you want students' own-words restatements to be.
Skills covered
Primary source analysis — students read four direct excerpts from Bacon's 1676 Declaration and identify the specific grievance in each.
Paraphrasing — students restate each 17th-century excerpt in contemporary language without changing its meaning.
Historical causation — students trace how land scarcity, lack of political rights, and conflict with Native Americans led to armed rebellion.
Vocabulary in context — students define “indentured servant” and connect it to the colonists described in the reading.
Good to know
Questions teachers ask about this resource
How is the background reading connected to the excerpt analysis?
The five background questions establish who Nathaniel Bacon and Governor Berkeley were and why the rebellion began; the excerpt page that follows then asks students to read four passages directly from Bacon's own Declaration and restate each grievance in their own words.
What kind of language do the primary-source excerpts use?
The excerpts are quoted directly from Bacon's 1676 Declaration in its original 17th-century phrasing (for example, “specious pretenses” and “commonalty”), which the restate-in-your-own-words task is designed to help students translate into modern language.
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Resource details
Concepts & topics
Core concepts
Core concepts
Bacon's Rebellion
Indentured servitude
Colonial Virginia
Primary source analysis
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