1676 - Nathaniel Bacon leads Virginia planters in the first conflict over British rule.

In 1676, Nathaniel Bacon sparked a significant uprising known as Bacon's Rebellion in colonial Virginia, marking a pivotal moment in early American history. The rebellion arose primarily from grievances among Virginia's frontier settlers against Governor William Berkeley's administration. Bacon, a wealthy planter but excluded from Berkeley's inner circle, mobilized hundreds of discontented farmers and small landowners from the western frontier to confront Native American raids that were plaguing their settlements. Frustrated by Berkeley's perceived lack of action and his favoritism towards the elite, Bacon and his followers turned their ire towards both the governor and local Native American tribes.

The rebellion escalated into armed conflict as Bacon's forces marched on Jamestown, the colonial capital. Despite initial success and the burning of Jamestown, Bacon's Rebellion ultimately faltered due to internal divisions and the arrival of reinforcements from England sent by Berkeley.