In 1676, Nathaniel Bacon led Virginia settlers in an armed uprising against their governor, William Berkeley. There were several things that happened leading to the uprising, but the most direct cause was disagreement between Berkeley and the colonists regarding the Native Americans. Berkeley had previous worked to establish peace with the Native American tribes, but as the settlers’s population kept growing, they started expanding into tribal land. Native Americans attacked settlers in the Western frontier, and Berkeley did not provide protection for the colonists. When the colonists wanted to attack the Native Americans or move westward, they were not allowed to do so.

Along with the issues that developed between the Native Americans and the colonists, there were also higher taxes. This combined with lower tobacco prices created economic problems for the settlers, especially small farmers. Berkeley also restricted the right to vote to land owners, which led to fewer people controlling the government. Many settlers felt that they were insubordinate and being ruled by an Aristocratic class.