"Myne Owne Ground"
...ly in the eyes of the law. In fact, a free black planter was just as apt to utilize the government by bringing charges against a neighbor as any white man. It was not until Bacon’s Rebellion in 1676 that the status of free black planters began deteriorating. The change in treatment came as the result of two issues: First of all, the land of Virginia was becoming too small for the rapidly expanding plantation society. Secondly, the black population was increasing at an incredible rate and white Virginians were beginning to feel threatened and outnumbered. (p.108) As a result, the House of Burgesses and the Northampton County Court began treating African Americans as lower beings, driving them into poverty, and sometimes punishing them and/or their families with a lifetime sentence of slavery. (p.89) During the early to mid-17th century, social standing was tied most directly to economic standing. In other words, how much land a man owned, how much livestock he could maintain, and whether or not he could successfully support his family weighed more on the minds of people than the shade of one’s skin. With that said, three main spheres of interaction existed in colonial Virginia; the first being that between the local gentry and the free blacks. More often than not, a former master would serve as a free black’s patron, protecting him throughout legal crises, lending money in times of need, and purchasing goods that came as a result of their own blood, sweat, and tears. (p.99) Next was the relationship between free black planters and other black men and women. Interaction was frequent, and whether it a simple visit or of business, blacks kept connections to one another even across great distances. The most important relationships within the black community were that within one’s family. The last sphere existed between non-gentry whites, small planters, and indentured servants. Each group worked together on a variation of levels; some bought and sold land, livestock, and labor from one another, others brought lawsuit against one another, and a few even developed close friendships. In some cases black and white servants attempted to gain their freedom by running away together, while in others men and women of different race engaged in unlawful sexual relations. (p.106) Even though skin color could be of preference, the value of economic standing was the same across the board; blacks and whites both wanted the same thing… money. More modern racial tensions in the United States are not a direct result of the institution of slavery that began in the 1600s. As stated above, treatment of African Americans in the Virginian colony was not always unequal and could even be described as good or fair. White men whom participated in illicit sexual relations, theft of property, or attempted to escape as indentured servants were oftentimes give...