In 1676, there was an uprising called Bacon’s Rebellion. This was led by Nathaniel Bacon and it took place in the Virginia Colony. The rebellion that rose in the colonies was the first to take place. It was started to protest against William Berkeley, the Royal Governor of Virginia. This was the beginning of other rebellions that were to take place. Later on that year, there was another uprising in Maryland. There was a group called the Freeholders that were on the Virginia frontier; they made demands for the Native Americans that were living on land that was protected by a treaty to either be killed or driven out.
Later that year in 1674, there was a group of militiamen from Virginia that ambushed the one of the settlements and killed about thirty or so Native Americans. Acting against the orders of Berkeley, a larger group surrounded the Susquehannock village and killed the chiefs that Berkeley was trying to persuade to negotiate with. The village then retaliated and fought back by attacking and killing 60 settlers on plantations. To avoid a war breaking out, Berkeley help to advocate a containment policy that proposed the there be a construction of several defensive fortifications to be placed along the frontier.
Some of the settlers believed that the purpose of this plan was a gimmick to raise taxes and it was soon dismissed as being too expensive and unnecessary. Meanwhile, Bacon decided to create his own militia of 400 to 500 men to rebel against the corruption caused by Berkeley. Bacon’s Rebellion soon took place, attacking Doeg and Pamunkey tribes. Neither of the two tribes had any involvement in any prior conflicts. Bacon’s Rebellion also involved something called the Declaration of the People of Virginia, which was created to demand that the Native Americans be eliminated by death or removal from the lands.