Before the American Revolution, there was a large rebellion led by Nathaniel Bacon. It was the first uprising since the British government colonized the America. This event took place as the result of the colonists' grievances against,William Berkely, the governor of Virginia. 

Near the end of the seventeenth century, most of the good farmlands were occupied by a small group of rich farmers in the area of Chesapeake Bay, particularly the area called "tidewater gentry"; they controlled the policy of the government at their will. While many residents scattered in the remote area were only small farmers, there were alsos ervants under an apprenticeship and slaves, who were unsatified in many ways. 

The frontiermen faced many difficult problems. One of the problems was to transport their goods to the markets; another one was the poor leadership of William Berkely in the government ; the third one was the decline of a tobacco price because of the chronic overproduction of a low quality of tobacco which was exacerbated by the Navigation Acts. The fourth one was a high tax for providing defense against the Dutch and Indians' attacks and for sending three agents for trying to influence the members of a law-making body in  London against the proprietary land grants to Lords Arlington and Culpepper, and the fifth one was that the farmers were so vulnerable to attacks by the native Americans nearby. 

Berkely ignored these problems for a long time but was making a good profit from trading with the Indians. However, Bacon tried to solve one of the famers' problems; so, he demanded a military commission that would authorize him to attack the Susquehannock Indians. After Berkely's refusal, the public gave him a lot of support; he became the popular leader of a group of local volunteer Indian fighters.

In 1676, Nathaniel Bacon died of a 'bloody flux' before Berkley met him in battle. Berkley's response to the rebellion was very harsh, hanging nearly two dozen men and seizing their estates to compensate his allies. The king Charles II in England was surprised at Berkley's repression, saying 'That old fool has hung more men in that naked country than I have done here for the murder my father.' Charles II ordered Berkley to come back to England, where the governor died.

A lot of  Virginians were in a great debt due to economic problems and natural disasters in those years. Bacon's Rebellion was caused by discontent among back-country farmers againt corruption in the government. Instead of obeying the law, they chose to revolt against the governor of Virginia. One of the most important lessons came out from Bacon's Revolution was the recognition of the right to keep and bear arms, so that the common man could defend himself from both hostile Indians and a tyrant government.

 

 Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacon's_Rebellion

http://www.virginiaplaces.org/military/bacon.html

 

 

Books for sources: Wertenbaker, Thomas, 1957. Bacon�s Rebellion,1676.Williamsburg, Virginia: Virginia 350th anniversary celebration corporation.

Carson, Jane, 1976. Bacon�s Rebellion 1676-1976. Jamestown, Virginia: The Jamestown Foundation.