Opechancanough

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John Smith in the capture of Opechancanough

Opechancanough (* probably in the second half of the 16th century; † around 1644 or 1646) was chief of the Pamunkey - Indians and later chief of the Powhatan -Konföderation. He was the brother or half-brother of Wahunsonacock (better known as Powhatan ). He played an essential role in the English Powhatan Wars .

Opechancanough became known in connection with the story of Captain John Smith , who set out to explore the Chickahominy River in the winter of 1607/1608 - shortly after the founding of Jamestown .

In search of the source of the river, John Smith was captured by Pamunkey Indians who were hunting and brought to Opechancanough. That in turn brought him to Wahunsonacock. According to a famous story, John Smith owed his life to Wahunsonacock's daughter Pocahontas .

In 1618, Wahunsonacock died, and his brother Opechancanough became chief of the Powahtan Confederation, a group of Indian tribes living in Virginia including the Pamunkey , Mattaponi, and Chickahominy .

On Good Friday, March 22, 1622, he attacked the Jamestown settlements and killed 347 colonists. These in turn sought retaliation, which sparked a ten-year armed conflict. In the spring of 1644, Opechancanough made its last attack, killing 500 colonists, but was captured in the process. He was later murdered by a jailer in Jamestown.

In 1646, the governor of Virginia forced the Indians into a treaty in which they surrendered almost all of their land to the English .

See also

swell

  1. ↑ Bruce G. Trigger (Ed.): Handbook of North American Indians. Volume 15: Northeast. Chapter: Seventeenth-Century Indian Wars. P. 95f.

literature

personal data
SURNAME Opechancanough
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Chief of the Pamunkey Indians and later chief of the Powhatan Confederation
DATE OF BIRTH around 1554
DATE OF DEATH around 1644 or 1646