How 14 wrongfully killed Indians triggered the burning of America’s first capital

Nathaniel Bacon’s Multiracial Rebellion Burns Colonial Jamestown

Jamestown burned to the ground in 1676, and it wasn’t Native Americans who lit the match.

It was Nathaniel Bacon and his odd mix of rebels – white servants, black slaves, and free blacks – all fed up with Governor Berkeley’s rule. What began as a fight over Indian policy soon turned into civil war.

Bacon’s men took over the capital, ran Berkeley out of town, and then torched the whole place. After Bacon died of dysentery, the uprising fell apart.

Yet its legacy lived on when scared elites created the 1705 Slave Codes that split poor whites from blacks forever. The ruins at Colonial National Historical Park still tell this story of America’s first rebellion.

Trading Dispute Turned Deadly in Colonial Virginia

Thomas Mathew got into a heated argument with Doeg Indians over unpaid trading debts in summer 1675. Things got ugly when the Doegs killed Mathew’s herdsman Robert Hen and hurt an Indian.

Both victims had chop marks on their heads and arms that looked like hatchet wounds.

A young boy who hid under a bed saw everything and told officials it happened at dawn, clearly pointing to "Doegs, Doegs" as the attackers.

Militia’s Fatal Mistake Sparked Wider Conflict

Virginia militia chased the Doeg raiders but made a huge mistake.

They crossed into Maryland and killed 14 Susquehannock Indians who were actually Virginia’s friends, not enemies.

The Susquehannocks fought back hard in January 1676, killing 60 settlers in Maryland and 36 more in Virginia. Other tribes joined the attacks too.

They burned houses and fields and killed livestock across a huge area. Governor Berkeley called up the militia but then switched to defense mode.

Berkeley Built Forts While Farms Burned

The House of Burgesses approved Berkeley’s plan to build eight forts along the frontier with 500 men. He also banned gun sales to natives while trying to make friends with some tribes.

By spring 1676, Berkeley boasted that his plan worked because no militia deaths happened. Meanwhile, Bacon’s supporters were angry that soldiers couldn’t chase raiders without the governor’s permission.

Outlying farms kept burning while soldiers sat in their forts.

Bacon Went Rogue Against Native Americans

Nathaniel Bacon took control of volunteer militiamen from Charles City and Henrico counties. He kept asking for permission to "go out forth against the Indians" but Governor Berkeley said no.

The governor thought Bacon was just a young, rash person with no experience. Bacon went ahead anyway without approval.

He chased the Susquehannocks to the Roanoke River, got his Occaneechi allies to attack them, then turned on the Occaneechis, killing men, women, and children.

The Governor Branded Bacon a Traitor

Berkeley officially called Bacon a traitor and kicked him off the Governor’s Council. Bacon ran from Jamestown to avoid arrest, even though voters elected him to the House of Burgesses.

In June 1676, Bacon showed up in Jamestown for an assembly meeting as an elected member. Berkeley publicly forgave Bacon and let him back on the council, but everyone could feel the tension between them.

A Chest-Baring Showdown in Jamestown

During one heated argument, Berkeley made a bold move. He ripped open his shirt and showed his bare chest, daring Bacon to shoot him right there.

A group of burgesses met to figure out how to handle the Indian war. They talked with Cockacoeske, the queen of the Pamunkey Indians.

She boldly reminded them that her tribe had already made huge sacrifices, including her husband’s death in battle fighting with the English.

When asked how many warriors she would send, she answered in a "low slighting voice" saying only "twelve," though she had 150.

The People’s Declaration Accused Berkeley of Corruption

On July 30, 1676, Bacon and 600 followers released their "Declaration of the People of Virginia. " This document hit Berkeley with eight corruption charges, including putting "great unjust taxes upon the commonality.

" They also said he mocked justice by putting "scandalous and ignorant favorites" in charge of courts.

The declaration claimed Berkeley created a monopoly on the beaver trade with Native Americans and gave his friends all the best government jobs.

People of All Colors Joined Bacon’s Army

Thousands of Virginians from every social class flocked to Bacon’s side. This included servants and slaves of all races.

Bacon promised freedom for servants, lower taxes, better land for freemen, and safety by getting rid of Native Americans.

Black and white servants, farmers, and slaves united as Bacon stirred up anger against rich landowners. His armed followers numbered between 300-500 men who believed his promises, even though he couldn’t keep them.

Jamestown Went Up in Flames

On September 19, 1676, Bacon and his followers marched into Jamestown. Governor Berkeley ran away, and Bacon’s men set the town on fire.

About 150 colonists watched happily as the capital burned down to "cinders and ashes. " The fire destroyed many houses, the church, and the statehouse.

Bacon decided he couldn’t hold the capital, so he ordered the complete destruction of Jamestown.

Dysentery Killed Bacon and His Rebellion

Bacon suddenly died on October 26, 1676, from "Bloody Flux" (dysentery) and "lousey disease" (lice). Without his leadership, the rebellion lost steam.

Fellow rebel John Ingram tried to take over but couldn’t keep things together.

Royal Navy ships arrived in November, and Captain Thomas Grantham tricked the rebels at West Point into giving up their weapons. By January 1677, Berkeley’s loyal forces had beaten the remaining rebels.

Berkeley then executed 23 rebel leaders.

Virginia Created Slave Codes to Prevent Future Uprisings

The multiracial alliance of indentured servants and enslaved people scared Virginia’s planter elite.

In 1705, the Virginia General Assembly passed comprehensive Slave Codes with 41 sections that controlled interactions between slaves and citizens.

These laws tightened control over the growing African slave population while separating white colonists from black enslaved persons.

The codes made slavery pass down through the mother, gave poor whites legal advantages over blacks, and banned interracial marriages to prevent future unity between oppressed groups.

Visiting Colonial National Historical Park, Virginia

Colonial National Historical Park tells the story of Bacon’s Rebellion, when Nathaniel Bacon led a multiracial uprising that burned Jamestown in 1676.

You need two tickets at $15 each for the National Park Service and Preservation Virginia sections at 1957 Colonial Parkway. Take the Bacon’s Rebellion Walking Tour with historian Mark Summers to see rebellion sites.

The Archaearium museum shows 2000 artifacts from the rebellion period, plus you can watch active archaeological digs at the original James Fort.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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