BACON'S REBELLION, in Virginia, 1676. The English Navigation Acts of 1651 and 1660, restricting colonial trade to English ves sels, had produced universal distress in Vir ginia, forcing it to buy and sell to the home monopolists at their own price; tobacco, not only the chief produce, but the chief currency, became almost worthless. In 1667 the smaller landholders were reported on the brink of re bellion, and in 1673 there were meetings to refuse payment of taxes. Meantime the corrupt civil service of the colony, place-hunters sent over by Charles II to be rid of them, were plundering the planters by means of the export dues, in collusion with the governor, Sir Wil liam Berkeley (q.v.) ; and the latter was fat tening on a fur trade with the Indians. To save himself from the opposition of criticism of the masses whom he hated and despised, and to perpetuate the oligarchy of the small group of rich planters who formed his coun cil, he kept his legislature of 1662,— strongly royalist from the enthusiasm of the Restora tion,— in office till 1676 by annual adjournments without new elections; he had also abolished universal suffrage and substituted a property qualification. This built up a strong opposition, including some of the most solid citizens. In 1675 a terrible Indian war broke out, wrapping the frontier in fire and blood; 36 whites were murdered in one day of January 1676. Berke ley, implored to protect the settlements, ordered out a force under Sir Henry Chicheley, then suddenly dissolved it, recalled Chicheley's com mission and refused to do anything more till the assembly met in March. The result was frightful: within 17 days 60 of the 71 planta tions in Rappahannock parish were destroyed, and by .the time of the March meeting, over 300 victims had perished, a large part by fiend ish tortures. Even then, under Berkeley's orders, the °Long Assembly)). (so called in allusion to the Long Parliament) merely com mitted another outrage: instead of authoriz ing an army, they authorized frontier forts, to have a garrison of 500 soldiers (from the sea board counties, not the frontier one which suf fered from the Indians, and hated the gover nor). No attadc on the Indians was to be per mitted except under specific orders from the governor. Two million pounds of tobacco more were added to their taxes for this mocic ery of protection, and most of that was em bezzled and the forts built so as to be worth less even for the little service they could do. The people petitioned for leave to form expe ditions at their own charge under any leader Berkeley might appoint; he forbade any further petitions of the sort under heavy penalties. It was the universal belief that his one solicitude was to save his Indian trade monopoly from harm. Finally the people of Charles City County petitioned once more for leave, in face of actual ravages then going on ; and once more the obstinate and avaricious old man refused it. Men could bear no more ; they raised 300 volunteers on their own risk and by acclamation placed at their head Nathaniel Bacon (q.v.), a young planter recently from England, and one of the governor's council. He acce,pted it and wrote to Berkeley for a commission; Berkeley returned an evasive answer and Bacon started on his expedition without it. Berkeley hearing of it sent an
order for the company to disperse; all but a few, howtver, kept on and dispersed the In dians. Berkeley collected a troop of horse men, and set out to arrest Bacon, when he heard that the colony was all in revolt behind him; and he hurried back to Jamestown, dissolved his 14-year-old assembly and issued writs for a new one. Despite his suffrage restriction, there was a very heavy majonty against him; Bacon being one of the new members. As the latter approached Jamestown, he was arrested and brought before Berkeley, who, in view of the uprising, did not dare proceed to extremi ties, but paroled him, and on Bacon's making submission for attacking the Indians without license allowed him to take his seat, with a tacit agreement to give him his commission to finish the Indian war. The new legislature, besides restoring universal suffrage and malcing other reforms very distasteful to Berkeley, provided for raising an army of 1,000 men for Indian service. But Bacon, still refused the commis sion, and privately warned that his life was in danger, fled, shortly returned with 600 men, and forced Berkeley to sign his commission as major-general for the Indian campaign, and also a memorial to the King in his favor and reciting the colonial grievances. This latter was sent off with a secret note from Berkeley, disavowing it. Bacon within a month had nearly put down the Indian outbreak, especially by a crushing victory at Bloody Run (near Richmond), when he heard that the governor had proclaimed him and his party rebels, and to escape popular wrath had fled across the peninsula to Accomac. Bacon marched back to Middle Plantation (the site of Williamsburg), launched a manifesto against Berkeley, and drew around him a gathering of some promi nent men and a vast number of penniless ones (for the movement was largely a democratic revolt against an overweening aristocracy). They agreed to stand by him even against a royal army; feeling that they were compro mised beyond retreat at best, and hoping to hold out till the King could be correctly informed and pardon them. Bacon carried on the Indian campaign till September, thoroughly stamping out the danger to the colony; meantime sending an expedition to capture Berkeley, which was itself captured. Berkeley gathered about 1,000 militia by promising them the confiscated estates of the rebels, and reoccupied James town; Bacon marched against him, drove him to Accomac once more, and burnt Jamestown to the ground. But he had taken malaria there, and whle invading Gloucester County to attack Major Brent was stricken down, and died 26 October. The rebellion at once collapsed, and Berkeley wreaked a frightful vengeance upon Bacon's adherents. See BERKELEY, SIR WIL LIAM. For authorities, besides new documents published in Virginia Magazine of History (1893-98), consult the Century Magazine, Vol. XL, under *Under Nathaniel Bacon," by Ed ward Eggleston; and John Fiske's (Old Vir ginia and Her Neighbors,' 1897, Vol. II).