Bacon's Rebellion can be attributed to a myriad of causes and occurrences, all of which led to discontentment in the people of Virginia. Among the factors that caused dissatisfaction were high taxes, low tobacco prices, splitting the colony into proprieties, and resentment stirred by special privileges given to those close to the governor, Sir William Berkeley.

In 1676, Virginians were facing hard times. One of the main causes of this poverty were the extremely low tobacco prices sustained over several years. In 1617, planters shipped the first crop of tobacco to Virginia, and tobacco cultivations spread rapidly. By 1624, Virginia had exported 200,000 pounds of tobacco. However, by 1638 the price of tobacco plunged, and the crop exceeded three million pounds (Nash, p.36). Because tobacco was the greatest source of income to the Virginians, this was a debilitating blow to the economy.

As a favor to some nobles, King Charles II gave two...