1 janv. 1676 - Bacon's Rebellion

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To some extent, Bacon’s Rebellion was a conflict within the Virginia elite—between Berkeley’s men and the backers of Nathaniel Bacon, a wealthy and ambi­ tious planter who disdained Berkeley’s cronies. But Bacon’s call for the removal of all Indians from the colony, a reduction of taxes at a time of economic reces­ sion, and an end to rule by “grandees” rapidly gained support from small farmers, landless men, indentured servants, and even some Africans. The bulk of his army consisted of discontented men who had recently been servants.
Bacon promised freedom (including access to Indian lands) to all who joined his ranks. In 1676, Bacon gathered an armed force for an unauthorized and indiscriminate campaign against those he called the governor’s “protected and darling Indians.” He refused Berkeley’s order to disband and marched on Jamestown, burning it to the ground. The governor fled, and Bacon became the ruler of Virginia. Only the arrival of a squad­ ron of warships from England restored order. They restored property qualifications for voting, which Bacon had rescinded, and reduced taxes. They also adopted a more aggressive Indian policy, opening western areas to small farmers, many of whom prospered from a rise in tobacco prices after 1680. To avert the further rise of a rebellious population of landless former indentured servants, Virginia’s authorities accelerated the shift to slaves (who would never become free) on the tobacco plantations.

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