In the current paper, three documents about the riots during different periods are discussed to understand what made people go against the ruler and support those, who preferred disorders and disobedience. Each source of information is a unique approach for people to use and realize the differences between the stages and reasons for riots. One of the stories introduces the way of how people can resist each other. The second story is about the reactions to misunderstandings that take place around. And the third story is the evaluation of the actions done.
“A True Narrative of the Rise” is the report of the King’s Commissioner about the causes and the development of the rebellion organized by Bacon, a person, who imposed his opinion and chose poor unfair means to support his position. What he did was pretending distrust of the Governor, doing everything possible to involve as many people as possible in his activities, and telling people about the cowardice of the Governor’s party (“A True Narrative of the Rise” 67). This report introduces the situation when it is so easy to mislead people and use the Indian crisis as the reason to change the government and offer new individual conditions in Virginia.
The reasons for why people want to raise riots may vary, and the “Letter Written by William Shirley” is another example of why people use violence to achieve their goals. The author of this letter, Shirley, demonstrated his discontent with the impressments and intentions of the King’s government to implement the changes that were hard to understand. People were impressed by the British navy during a certain period (“Letter Written by William Shirley” 69).
This letter helps to realize that even if the governments continue neglecting the possibility of the riots and rebellion among people, they realize that oppressed people can take some serious steps to change the situation and improve the conditions under which they have to live. Despite the desire to demonstrate their power and confidence in everything done, the leaders do have doubts and do want to do something to avoid cruelty, because they are afraid of their inabilities to resist.
Finally, the “Account of the New York Tenant Riots” written in 1794 is the last story that provides an overview of the events in New York and people’s discontents about the necessity to be under the control of the Dutch and be kept in great consternation (“Account of the New York Tenant Riots” 77). This evaluation introduces the riot as the impossibility to listen and be heard. The only way out was to kill, demonstrate violence, and underline the unfair treatment of ordinary people. This reading shows that it was not enough just to kill. It was more important to create some wounds to send a message and demonstrate the level of seriousness preferred.
In general, all these three readings create a powerful picture of how different people treated riots and misunderstandings that took place between the government and the ordinary people. It was not an easy task to prove the chosen position. Still, it was possible to use violence and power to explain the intentions and prove the positions chosen. Many people did not understand the desire to revive, as well as many other people, did not see another way but to rebel, to kill, and to destroy.
Works Cited
“A True Narrative of the Rise, Progresse, and Cessation of the Late Rebellion in Virginia, Most Humbly and Impartially Reported by His Majestyes Commissioners Appointed to Enquire into the Affaires of the Said Colony (1677).” Voices of a People’s History of the United States. Ed. Howard Zinn and Anthony Arnove. New York: Seven Stories Press, 2009. 66-69. Print.
“Account of the New York Tenant Riots (1766).” Voices of a People’s History of the United States. Ed. Howard Zinn and Anthony Arnove. New York: Seven Stories Press, 2009. 76-77. Print.
“Letter Written by William Shirley to the Lords of Trade about the Knowles Riot (1747).” Voices of a People’s History of the United States. Ed. Howard Zinn and Anthony Arnove. New York: Seven Stories Press, 2009. 69-72. Print.