born Jan. 2, 1647, Suffolk, Eng.
died October 1676, Virginia Colony
British-born American colonial planter, leader of Bacon's Rebellion.
He emigrated from England in 1673 and acquired land in Virginia, where he was appointed to the council of William Berkeley , the British governor. After a dispute over Indian policy, he defied Berkeley's orders and organized an expedition against the Indians in 1676. He then turned his forces against Berkeley, captured Jamestown, and briefly controlled most of Virginia. His death at age 29 of influenza, at the height of his power, ended the rebellion.
Nathaniel Bacon, detail of an engraving
By courtesy of the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.