Treaty of Middle Plantation

Historical Context. The treaty emerged following the end of Bacon's Rebellion. It was formally known as the Treaty Between Virginia And The Indians 1677 or Treaty of Middle Plantation, signed in Virginia to establish peace between the English Crown and local Native American representatives.

Treaty Provisions. The agreement designated signatories as "tributary tribes," guaranteeing them control over traditional homelands, hunting and fishing rights, and the right to bear arms. These rights were contingent upon maintaining loyalty towards the English Crown, formalized through twenty-one articles.

Signatory Tribes. Representatives from the Nottoway, Appomattoc, Wayonaoake, Nansemond, Nanzatico, Monacan, Saponi, and Meherrin tribes signed the document. Some sources indicate additional signatories were added in an annexe between April and June 1680, though the core treaty was signed in 1677.