e found expression in the county grievances. Most of
these reports were drawn up in a number of articles, and in all there
were nearly two hundred of such separate subdivisions, yet only three of
this number refer in any way to these statutes. There is no valid reason
for assuming that the commercial system played any part whatsoever, or
was in any degree, an issue, in the upheaval of 1676."[5-26]

If by this statement it is meant that Bacon and his men did not rebel in
order to force the repeal of the Navigation Acts, or even that they did
not have the acts in mind at the time, there are many students of
Virginia history who will agree with it. But if Mr. Beer means that
these laws, with their baleful effect upon the prosperity of Virginia,
did not produce the conditions fundamental to the rising, he is
certainly wrong. The evidence is overwhelming.

Surely no one will deny that misery, poverty and nakedness are breeders
of sedition. Had it not been for the Navigation Acts there would not
have been so many desperate persons in Virginia ready at any excuse to
fly in the face of the Government. Bacon's men were just the type of
miserably poor freemen that Berkeley several years before had feared
would rebel. He himself, in his proclamation of Feb. 10, 1677, spoke of
them as "men of mean and desperate fortunes."[5-27] William Sherwood
called the rebels rude and indigent persons, alluding to them as "tag,
rag and bobtayle."[5-28] Over and over again they are described as the
multitude, the rabble, the skum.

Exception must be taken also to the statement that had there existed in
Virginia any well-defined feeling of antagonism to the Navigation Acts
it would have found expression in the county grievances. It should be
remembered that these reports had been called for by the commissioners
sent over by Charles II to investigate the troubles. The men who drew
them up occupied the position of defeated rebels, and the grievances
were primarily a list of excuses for their treason. They all stood
trembling for their property, if they had any, and for their miserable
lives. The memory of the fate of Drummond and Bland and Arnold and many
others of their fellow rebels was fresh in their minds. It is not
reasonable to suppose that they would tell the King that they had risen
in arms against his authority in order to secure the overthrow of laws
which his Majesty considered of such vital importance, laws which
concerned intimately t