BA'CON'S REBELLION. An uprising of the Virginia colonists, particularly of the lower classes, tinder the leadership of Nathaniel Bacon (q.v.) against the colonial authorities, repre• sented by Governor William Berkeley, in 1676. For some time before, taxes had been excessive and unfairly distributed, and colonial commerce had been greatly hampered and restricted (see NAVIGATION ACTS, TIIE) ; the Assembly, since 1661, had been overbearing, and wholly subservi ent to the Governor; and Governor Berkeley himself, besides showing gross favo•itiNm, had exercised a virtual monopoly over the exceed ingly profitable Indian trade. These facts com bined to arouse a widespread feeling of discon tent among the colonists; and this feeling was greatly intensified by the Governor's attitude toward the Indian outbreak in 1675, when he positively refused to take any effective measures to meet the threatened danger, but required, in stead, that a certain number of forts be built with money to be raised by taxation. The Gov ernor also prohibited the colonists from making any attacks on the Indians without his express orders. The Indian raids being renewed with especial violence early in 167(1, and the forts proving to be altogether useless, 300 colon ists assembled in disregard of the Governor's orders, and by acclamation chose Nathaniel Bacon as their leader. Though unable to pro enre a regular commis.sion, Bacon accepted the position, marched against the Susquehannocks, and completely defeated them. On his return to .Tamestown he was arrested. but soon afterwards was released on parole. The Governor. how ever, gave undeniable evidence of double dealing, and obstinately refused to sign 1 C0111111k slim. Bacon thereupon marched upon .Tames
town, captured it, and not only obtained a satisfactory commission as major-general, but also forced the Assembly to pass and the Gov ernor to approve, a set of liberal acts which be came known as 'Bacon's Laws,' and which tem porarily reformed many of the worst abuses in the colony. Bacon then undertook a second expedition against the Indians, and in the battle of Bloody Run, near the present Richmond, again completely defeated them. The Governor, mean while, tried to raise a force hostile to Bacon, and Bacon thereupon marched a second time against Jamestown, which he besieged, captured. and on September 19, destroyed. On October 26, while marching to meet a hostile force under Major Brent, Bacon died in Gloucester County, of an attack of dysentery. With his death the rebellion ended. Berkeley's bloody revenge upon Bacon's followers elicited from Charles II. the famous comment, "The old fool has put to death more people in that naked country than I did here for the murder of my father." The causes of the rebellion, which is now regarded as having been a forerunner of the Revolution, were mis represented by the authorities at the time, and were greatly misunderstood by historians until the discovery of many new dociunents bearing on the subject about. 1890. Most of these doeu meats have been published in the Virginia Maga zine of History (Richmond, 1893-98). Consult an interesting and carefully written article by Edward Eggleston, entitled "Nathaniel Bacon, the Patriot of 1676," in the Century Magazine. Vol. XL. (New York, 1890) , and the account in Fiske's Old Virginia and Her Neighbours (2 vols., Boston, 1897).