OPECHANCANOUGH
Name: Opchanacanough
Born: 1554
Died: 1644
Opechancanough or Opchanacanough (1554?-1644) was a tribal chief of the Powhatan
Confederacy of what is now Virginia in the United States, and its leader from
1618 until his death in 1644. His name meant "He whose Soul is White" in the
Algonquian language.
The Powhatan Confederacy was established in the late 16th and early 17th century
under the leadership of Chief Wahunsonacock (who was more commonly known as
Chief Powhatan, named for the tribe he originally led which was based near
present-day Richmond, Virginia). Over a period of years, through negotiation and/or
coercion, Chief Powhatan united most of the Native American tribal groups in the
Tidewater region of what is now the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United
States, essentially the southeastern portion of the state.
At the time of the English settlement at Jamestown which was established in May
of 1607, Opechancanough was a much-feared warrior and a charismatic leader of
the Powhatans. As Chief Powhatan's younger brother (or possibly half-brother),
he headed a tribe situated along the Pamunkey River near the present-day Town of
West Point. Known to be strongly opposed to the European settlers, he captured
John Smith of Jamestown along the Chickahominy River and brought him before
Chief Powhatan at Werowocomoco, one the two capital villages of the Powhatans.
Located along the northern shore of the present-day York River, Werowocomoco is
the site where the famous incident with Powhatan's young daughter Pocahontas
intervening on Smith's behalf during a ceremony is thought to have occurred,
based upon Smith's account.
Written accounts by other colonists confirm that Pocahontas subsequently did
serve as an intermediary between the natives and the colonists, and helped
deliver crucial food during the winter of 1607-08, when the colonist's fort at
Jamestown Island burned in an accidental fire in January 1608.
A later marriage of Pocahontas and colonist John Rolfe in 1614 brought a period
of peace, which ended not long after her death while on a trip to England and
the death of her father, Wahunsonacock, in 1618. A short time later,
Opechancanough became chief of the Powhatan Confederacy.
The natives and the colonists came into increasingly irreconcilable conflicts as
the land-hungry export tobacco which had been first developed by Rolfe became
the cash crop of the colony. The relationship became even more tense as ever
increasing numbers of Europeans arrived, and began establishing "hundreds" and
plantations along the navigable rivers.
Beginning with the Indian massacre of 1622, Chief Opechancanough gave up on
diplomacy with the English settlers of the Virginia Colony and tried to force
them to abandon the region. On the morning of a Good Friday, March 22, 1622,
approximately a third of the settlers were killed during a series of coordinated
attacks along both shores of the James River, extending from Newport News Point
near the mouth all the way west to Falling Creek, near the fall line at the head
of navigation. However, the colony rebounded, and hundreds of natives were
killed in retaliation, many poisoned by Dr. John Potts at Jamestown.
Chief Opechancanough launched one more major effort to get rid of the colonists
in April 18, 1644. However, forces under Royal Governor William Berkeley
captured Opechancanough, thought to then have been between 90 and 100 years old.
While a prisoner, Opechancanough was killed by a soldier (shot in the back)
assigned to guard him. He was succeeded as Weroance by Nectowance and then by
Totopotomoi and later by his daughter Cockacoeske. Cockacoeske had a concubine
relationship with Colonel John West, who was the son of the Governor of Virginia.
Name: Opchanacanough
Born: 1554
Died: 1644
Opechancanough or Opchanacanough (1554?-1644) was a tribal chief of the Powhatan
Confederacy of what is now Virginia in the United States, and its leader from
1618 until his death in 1644. His name meant "He whose Soul is White" in the
Algonquian language.
The Powhatan Confederacy was established in the late 16th and early 17th century
under the leadership of Chief Wahunsonacock (who was more commonly known as
Chief Powhatan, named for the tribe he originally led which was based near
present-day Richmond, Virginia). Over a period of years, through negotiation and/or
coercion, Chief Powhatan united most of the Native American tribal groups in the
Tidewater region of what is now the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United
States, essentially the southeastern portion of the state.
At the time of the English settlement at Jamestown which was established in May
of 1607, Opechancanough was a much-feared warrior and a charismatic leader of
the Powhatans. As Chief Powhatan's younger brother (or possibly half-brother),
he headed a tribe situated along the Pamunkey River near the present-day Town of
West Point. Known to be strongly opposed to the European settlers, he captured
John Smith of Jamestown along the Chickahominy River and brought him before
Chief Powhatan at Werowocomoco, one the two capital villages of the Powhatans.
Located along the northern shore of the present-day York River, Werowocomoco is
the site where the famous incident with Powhatan's young daughter Pocahontas
intervening on Smith's behalf during a ceremony is thought to have occurred,
based upon Smith's account.
Written accounts by other colonists confirm that Pocahontas subsequently did
serve as an intermediary between the natives and the colonists, and helped
deliver crucial food during the winter of 1607-08, when the colonist's fort at
Jamestown Island burned in an accidental fire in January 1608.
A later marriage of Pocahontas and colonist John Rolfe in 1614 brought a period
of peace, which ended not long after her death while on a trip to England and
the death of her father, Wahunsonacock, in 1618. A short time later,
Opechancanough became chief of the Powhatan Confederacy.
The natives and the colonists came into increasingly irreconcilable conflicts as
the land-hungry export tobacco which had been first developed by Rolfe became
the cash crop of the colony. The relationship became even more tense as ever
increasing numbers of Europeans arrived, and began establishing "hundreds" and
plantations along the navigable rivers.
Beginning with the Indian massacre of 1622, Chief Opechancanough gave up on
diplomacy with the English settlers of the Virginia Colony and tried to force
them to abandon the region. On the morning of a Good Friday, March 22, 1622,
approximately a third of the settlers were killed during a series of coordinated
attacks along both shores of the James River, extending from Newport News Point
near the mouth all the way west to Falling Creek, near the fall line at the head
of navigation. However, the colony rebounded, and hundreds of natives were
killed in retaliation, many poisoned by Dr. John Potts at Jamestown.
Chief Opechancanough launched one more major effort to get rid of the colonists
in April 18, 1644. However, forces under Royal Governor William Berkeley
captured Opechancanough, thought to then have been between 90 and 100 years old.
While a prisoner, Opechancanough was killed by a soldier (shot in the back)
assigned to guard him. He was succeeded as Weroance by Nectowance and then by
Totopotomoi and later by his daughter Cockacoeske. Cockacoeske had a concubine
relationship with Colonel John West, who was the son of the Governor of Virginia.