Bacon’s Rebellion History Lab Investigation

Historical Interpretation Investigation | Primary & Secondary Sources History Lab

QUESTION: Which historian’s interpretation of Bacon’s Rebellion is better supported by the evidence?

In this History Lab investigation, students step into the role of historians as they compare two competing interpretations of Bacon’s Rebellion and test them against the primary-source evidence.

Students first examine the arguments of historians Howard Zinn and James D. Rice, who emphasize different causes of the rebellion. Then they analyze two primary sources from the period to determine which interpretation is better supported by the primary source evidence.

Students investigate two competing interpretations:

• Howard Zinn: Bacon’s Rebellion grew out of both conflict with Native Americans and resentment toward Virginia’s wealthy ruling class.
• James D. Rice: Conflict over Native Americans, land, and westward expansion was at the heart of the rebellion.

ANALYZING & CORROBORATING EVIDENCE

Students examine excerpts from:

• Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States
• James D. Rice’s scholarship on Bacon’s Rebellion
• Nathaniel Bacon’s Declaration of the People of Virginia from 1676
• Thomas Mathew’s firsthand account of the Bacon's confrontation with Governor Berkely

As they work through the sources, students identify each historian’s argument, pull out specific evidence, analyze Bacon’s grievances, and compare how strongly the primary sources support each interpretation.

WEIGHING THE EVIDENCE & WRITING HISTORY

After analyzing the documents, students decide which historian’s interpretation is better supported by the evidence.

They then write their own 5–7 sentence textbook entry explaining Bacon’s Rebellion, including both major causes while making a clear argument about which cause they believe mattered most.

This lesson helps students see that history is not just a set of facts to memorize. Historians can examine the same event, emphasize different evidence, and reach different conclusions.

It’s a simple, engaging way to build skills with primary sources, corroboration, historical interpretation, evidence-based argument, and historical writing.