Summary Of Myne Owne Ground

History courses in high school and elementary grade levels often depict African slaves as having no freedoms until the Emancipation Proclamation during the Civil War with the exception of the rare few. The majority of people would assume the same regardless of race or education in modern times. Many would dismiss the assumption that during the early sixteen century, Africans would have gained their freedom; and lived as equals amongst the English colonists. However T. H. Breen’s book, Myne Owne Ground, portrays a different view point of how slaves were treated in the sixteenth century North Hampton, Virginia. Breen depicts how former slaves were able to legally change their status to a freeman and the life that followed, and ultimately their

The rebellion was caused by the continued differences between the average yeoman and the plantation elitists that controlled the colonial government in an oligopoly format. The rebellion took place on the Virginia mainland and never touch North Hampton, which is where Breen gathered his evidence for Myne Own Ground. The rebellion aimed to remove the elitists and give a chance for the growing yeoman population while land became less abundant for them. The elitists were against expansion into indigenous territory preventing new yeoman to claim land. Ultimately the rebellion would fail when Nathaniel Bacon was killed. The Colonial government in the House of Burgesses would then begin to reform the colony so that race rather than property determined the status of colonists. While this eased the tensions of the majority of the yeoman, it had repercussions for the African freemen. Breen gives evidence that following the rebellion, it became increasingly difficult for African freemen to continue their way of life. Breen states that many of the Africans he used as examples disappear from the court records, most likely indicating that they were forced back into slavery or moved to other locations where opportunities still

Originally I would have followed the common assumptions that once slaves arrived in North America they would be considered lesser and be indentured forever. That their only means for freedom was to escape northward or westward both of which would have been dangerous due to the indigenous presence in that time period. Breen’s book has helped me understand an important part of history that is largely lost to the majority of the public. I checked Breen’s credentials and what degrees he has, all of which help to further improve the validity of his argument. Although the evidence is vague, and some would give criticism to the use of the court documents; my belief is that it should be further studied if possible. There might be more evidence that this was the same throughout the rest of the colony of Virginia, and possibly other colonies such as Maryland. Due to the facts presented by Myne Owne Ground, I believe that if more evidence is found; historians should attempt to integrate this new found knowledge of Colonial America into educational courses of lower grade levels to enlighten people of a history that was almost