The year 1676 was a severe one for the people in the young colony of Virginia. Their Governor, Sir William Berkeley, was a cruel, selfish man. He ruled the colony entirely in his own interests, keeping his subjects in deep poverty by unjust taxes and wresting a large, illegal profit from the fur trade with the Indians. The Legislature, or Governor's Council, was composed of his friends, and thus the people had no recourse. To add to their troubles, the Indians began to attack the settlers along the frontier. Their fields were laid waste, their servants killed, and their stock driven off and slaughtered; but the Governor would not lift a hand to protect them, not wanting to lose his profitable fur trade.

Also occurring in 1676 was King Philip's War in New England, and reports of the horrible massacres were continually reaching Virginia. The Susquehanna Indians and other tribes were finally aroused to a dangerous pitch, and many of the people along the frontier were put to death.

Nathaniel Bacon by T. Chambers. 

Still, the Governor refused to do anything to protect the settlers. At last, they took matters into their own hands and formed a company of about 300 men, but, Governor Berkeley refused to commission anyone to take command of the troops, or to allow them to go against the Indians.

In the colony was a young lawyer named Nathaniel Bacon, who had come from England several years before. He was a man of wealth and education and had purchased a large plantation about 26 miles below Richmond, not far from the Indian frontier. Having himself met with heavy losses at the hands of the Indians, he went to Governor Berkeley and begged to be allowed to lead the troops. But, the Governor would not consent, saying that it was best not to excite the Indians further, and that their outbreak would soon cease.

Bacon and the rest of the colonists; however, knew better. In despair, the colonists asked Bacon to defy the Governor. But, at first, he was not willing to do this. Later though, he went to visit the camp of the of the volunteers, who unanimously begged him to become their leader. Under the influence of their enthusiasm, he accepted the command, and the small army set out at once for the Indian encampments along the Roanoke River.

Governor Berkeley was furious when he found out and organized a party of friends who started after Bacon, declaring that he would hang him for going to war without orders. But, the British party could did not find him; for Bacon and his volunteers were in the midst of a skirmish with the Indians, and Berkeley and his followers dared not venture into the fray. When the Governor got back to Jamestown, he was met by a group of colonists from the lower coast settlements. They told him they supported Bacon, and demanded that a new Legislature be chosen which should represent the people. Berkeley was frightened, seeing that he would have to yield in appearance at least, and promised that a new Legislature would be called at once.

In the meantime, Bacon and the other volunteers had routed the Indians and soon came marching home. For the present, they felt that the colony was safe. Bacon's enthusiastic friends elected him a member of the Legislature, and when the time came for him to take his seat, forty of them went down to Jamestown with him in a sloop. The Governor knew of their coming and with the help of two boats and a ship, managed to capture the sloop. But, when Bacon reached Jamestown, Berkeley dared not carry out the revenge he had planned. The angry people were up in arms for their leader, and he was forced to let the young man take his place in the Legislature.

However, that very night, Bacon was warned that a warrant was out to seize him the next day, and that the roads and rivers were even then guarded to prevent his escape. But, Nathaniel Bacon was not a man to be taken easily. He mounted a horse and rode away across country in the darkness, until he had put many miles between himself and his enemies and had reached the home of friends and safety.