Preceden

Bacon's Rebellion Timeline

(1676–1677)

Bacon's Rebellion was an armed uprising in colonial Virginia led by Nathaniel Bacon against Governor William Berkeley's administration. Less

Build a timeline like this one in minutes, for free. Start Yours →

Go to: Event List | Key Facts | Directory

Colonial tensions

Berkeley returns to Virginia

1645

William Berkeley returned to Virginia after unsuccessfully fighting for King Charles in England and after Native Americans had massacred settlers in 1644.

Berkeley warns of tobacco depression

1662

Berkeley warned English officials that low tobacco prices did not cover freight and customs costs, leaving small farmers without a subsistence income.

Berkeley proposes attacks on Native communities

Jun 1666

Berkeley told Robert Smith that Native Americans could be destroyed and suggested financing an expedition by enslaving and selling women and children.

Tobacco crop failure deepens discontent

1667

Several weather events caused Virginia’s tobacco crop to fail, worsening the economic hardship already affecting small farmers.

Image source: Bacon's Rebellion

Tobacco crop failure deepens discontent

Colonists patent land west of the Potomac

1669

Colonists had patented land west of the Potomac as far north as My Lord’s Island, now Theodore Roosevelt Island.

Landless taxpayers lose voting rights

1670

By 1670, most landless taxpayers could no longer vote for representatives in the House of Burgesses, broadening political resentment.

The Doeg are driven from Virginia

1670

Colonists drove most of the Doeg out of Virginia and into Maryland, except for communities near the Nanzatico and Portobago area.

Image source: Doeg people

The Doeg are driven from Virginia

Petitioners meet at Lawne’s Creek

Dec 1673

Aggrieved petitioners gathered at Lawne’s Creek parish church across from Jamestown to protest colonial conditions.

Virginia rebellions fail for lack of leaders

1674

Two rebellions in Virginia failed in 1674 because they lacked effective leaders.

Freed servants squat in the Northern Neck

1676

Freed indentured servants and other European immigrants cleared and occupied land in Virginia’s Northern Neck that the Crown had reserved for Native Americans.

Colonial farming exhausts Virginia’s soil

1676

Erosion and ineffective fertilization depleted cultivated fields, forcing colonists to seek new land and intensifying competition over territory.

Conflict and rebellion

Doeg attacks Stafford County

Jul 1675

Doeg Indians killed two settlers and destroyed cornfields and cattle in Stafford County, Virginia.

Rebel weapons are seized aboard ship

1676

After surrendering a post with cannon, firearms, and ammunition, a ship’s commander turned the guns on the rebels once they were safely aboard and disarmed them.

Bacon establishes headquarters at Major Pate’s house

1676

Bacon made his final headquarters at Major Thomas Pate’s house in Gloucester County, east of West Point.

Burgesses authorize a thousand-man army

1676

After debates over Indian policy and demands from the Queen of the Pamunkeys, the burgesses ultimately authorized an army of 1,000 men.

Farmers gather at Merchant’s Hope

1676

Angry at Berkeley’s refusal to retaliate, Charles City County farmers gathered near Merchant’s Hope on the James River after hearing rumors of another raid.

Susquehannock raids kill settlers

Jan 1676

Susquehannocks retaliated by attacking plantations and killing 60 settlers in Maryland and 36 in Virginia.

Bacon’s Rebellion begins

1676 - 1677

Bacon’s Rebellion was an armed uprising by Virginia settlers, indentured servants, and enslaved people against the colonial government led by Governor William Berkeley.

Berkeley recalls the anti-raider expedition

Feb 1676

After February raids, Berkeley called up the militia under Sir Henry Chicheley and Colonel Goodrich, then recalled the force and chose a defensive strategy.

Bacon’s army issues the Declaration of the People

Jul 30, 1676

Nathaniel Bacon and his army issued the Declaration of the People, criticizing Berkeley’s government and explaining their grievances.

Bacon dies of dysentery

Oct 26, 1676

After falling ill with dysentery and receiving last rites from Reverend Wadding, Bacon died at his headquarters.

Royal Navy arrives in Virginia

Nov 1676

The Royal Navy arrived in Virginia in November, changing the balance of power against the rebels.

Aftermath and legacy

Ann Cotton writes an account of the rebellion

1676

Ann Cotton wrote a personal account of Bacon’s Rebellion in the form of a letter.

Jeffreys is appointed lieutenant governor

Nov 1676

Charles II appointed Herbert Jeffreys lieutenant governor of Virginia; he arrived in the colony in February 1677.

Berkeley returns to burned Jamestown

Jan 1677

The 71-year-old Berkeley returned to the burned colonial capital and his looted home at Green Spring at the end of January.

Virginia reforms follow the rebellion

1677

Although later repealed, reforms limited the governor’s powers, regulated fees, restricted multiple county offices, and restored suffrage to landless freemen.

Four rebels are executed

Jan 12, 1677

Thomas Young, James Wilson, Henry Page, and Thomas Hall were executed for their participation in the rebellion.

Jeffreys assumes the acting governorship

Apr 27, 1677

With royal support, Jeffreys became acting colonial governor after Bacon’s Rebellion, succeeding Berkeley.

Treaty of 1677 is signed

May 28, 1677

Jeffreys presided over the Treaty of 1677, a formal peace agreement between the Crown and representatives of several Virginia Native American tribes.

Image source: Treaty of 1677

Treaty of 1677 is signed

Berkeley dies in England

Jul 1677

William Berkeley died shortly after landing in England.

Jeffreys secures amnesty and rebuilding

Oct 1677

Jeffreys persuaded the General Assembly to grant amnesty, penalize accusations of treason or rebellion, and rebuild Jamestown’s burned and looted state house and capital.

Virginia Slave Codes are enacted

1705

Virginia enacted strict slave laws that hardened the racial caste system and attempted to prevent future cooperation between European servants and Black enslaved people.

Cotton’s account is published

1804

Cotton’s account was published in its original form in the Richmond Enquirer under the title “An account of our late troubles in Virginia.”

Thomas Mathew’s narrative is published

1805

The Richmond Enquirer published “The Beginning, Progress, and Conclusion of Bacon’s Rebellion,” written by former participant Thomas Mathew in 1704.

Build a timeline like this one in minutes, for free. Start Yours →

Key Facts

  1. Nathaniel Bacon led frontier colonists who criticized Governor William Berkeley for failing to provide adequate protection from Native American attacks.
  2. The rebellion reflected tensions over land, political power, trade policies, and the unequal distribution of authority in Virginia.
  3. Bacon's forces attacked and burned Jamestown in September 1676, forcing Berkeley and his supporters to flee temporarily.
  4. Nathaniel Bacon died of illness in October 1676, and the rebellion collapsed soon afterward.
  5. The uprising contributed to Virginia's increased reliance on racial slavery as colonial leaders sought to reduce divisions among lower-class colonists.

Source

This Bacon's Rebellion timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

We work hard to keep these timelines accurate, but mistakes do get through. If you spot one, email us at [email protected] and we'll fix it for future visitors.

Want a timeline like this one?

Generate yours with AI or build it from scratch, for free.

Try It for Free