Bacon’s Rebellion and Respect

In this lesson, students will learn about how Nathaniel Bacon demanded respect for the rights of colonists in Virginia in the 1670s. They will learn how they too can demand respect for their own rights.

Walk-In-The-Shoes Questions
As you read, imagine you are the protagonist.

• What challenges are you facing?
• What fears or concerns might you have?
• What may prevent you from acting in the way you ought?

Observation Questions

• Who was Nathaniel Bacon? What was his role in Bacon’s Rebellion?
• Why did Bacon fight against the government’s disrespect for the colonists’ rights?
• What actions did Bacon take to show the government that they could not trample on the rights of Virginians?

Discussion Questions
Discuss the following questions with your students.

• What is the historical context of the narrative?
• What historical circumstances presented a challenge to the protagonist?
• How and why did the individual exhibit a moral and/or civic virtue in facing and overcoming the challenge?
• How did the exercise of the virtue benefit civil society?
• How might exercise of the virtue benefit the protagonist?
• What might the exercise of the virtue cost the protagonist?
• Would you react the same under similar circumstances? Why or why not?
• How can you act similarly in your own life? What obstacles must you overcome in order to do so?

• Students will analyze Nathaniel Bacon’s demand for respect in Bacon’s Rebellion.
• Students will understand how they can be respectful of others’ rights and demand respect for their own rights.