Chief Powhatan

Chief Powhatan

Chief Powhatan the father of Pocahontas and paramount chief of the Powhatan Confederacy led his tribes in a war against the English settlers in Jamestown Colony, Virginia. Powhatan was the name of the village where Wahunsunacock lived before he became chief. At that point he took the name Powhatan as his spoken name. Little is known about Powhatan before his encounter with Captain John Smith in 1607. Powhatan inherited the rule of four or five tribes after his father died, quickly creating the Powhatan Confederacy and forcing tribes to join together assembling rule over about 30 tribes to fight off the English. He then created his chief village with 30 tribes at Werowocomoco. In 1609, Powhatan packed up his tribe and moved them to Orapakes a swamp at the beginning of the Chickahominy River. This move was due to the fear of exposure to the English. Around 1611, Powhatan moved his tribe again to the North finally settling in King William County. Shortly after in 1618, Powhatan passed away from a disease. Powhatan's brother, Opchanacanough then became chief and continued the battle with the English killing off most of the tribe in 1644. Powhatan's appearance according to Captain John Smith, "He is of parsonage a tall well proportioned man... his head somwhat gray.... His age neare 60 of a very able and hardybody to endure any labour."

Fast Facts:

Born in 1545
Birth Name: Wahunsenacawh written Wahunsunacock after the 17th century
Language: Algonquian
Leader of the Powhatan Confederacy
Father of Pocahontas
Lived in the Eastern part of Virginia
Died in 1618
Burial mound located on the Pamunkey Indian Reservation
His village Werowocomoco is now an archeological site for research

Categories

History | U.S. History | Native American History

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The Mahalo Top 7

Wikipedia: Chief Powhatan
Princess Pocohantas Foundation: Chief Powhatan
Powhatan Museum: Powhatan
The Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities: Chief Powhatan
Virtual Jamestown: Chief Powhatan
Virginia Department of Historic Resources: Chief Powhatan
National Endowment for the Humanities: Uncovering Powhatan's Empire (January 1, 2007)

Chief Powhatan Background and Research

Gloucester County Historical Information: Powhatan 1547-1618
Access Genealogy: Powhatan Indian Chiefs and Leaders
The Virginia Tourism Corporation: Powhatan
Virginia Places: The Anglo-Powhatan Wars
The Mariner's Museum: Powhatan Moved His Capital | Post Contact
Native American.com: Powhatan Confederacy
Werowocomoco Research Project: The Villiage of Chief Powhatan | Werowocomoco Settlement

Chief Powhatan Media

American Rhetoric: Chief Powhatan's Address to John Smith
Richmond Times-Dispatch: Powhatan (December 9, 2007)
Smithsonian.com: Lost City of Powhatan (April 1, 2007)
Indian Country Today: Powhatan Artifacts (March 14, 2007)
The College of William and Mary: Uncovering Werowocomoco (October 23, 2003)
CBS News: Powhatan's Tribal Village Found (May 7, 2003)

Chief Powhatan Photos and Images

Live Search Image: Powhatan Photos
Google Image: Chief Powhatan Photos
Yahoo! Image: Chief Powhatan Photos
she-philosopher.com: Powhatan's Mantle
Gloucester County Historical Information: Powhatan's Chimney

Chief Powhatan Blogs

Britannica Blog: Why Weren’t the Jamestown Colonists Wiped Out? (May 11, 2007)
All Poetry: Wahunsunacock Poem (November 30, 2006)
Find a Grave: Powhatan

Chief Powhatan Timeline

1545: June 17 Born
1607: Powhatan meets John Smith
1608: Powhatan lost patience with The English
1609: Addressed John Smith to lay down their guns and swords
1610: Anglo-Powhatan War
1614: Powhatan accepts peace with the British
1618: Chief Powhatan died

Chief Powhatan Books

Amazon.com: Chief Powhatan Books
Google Books: Powhatan Books | Chief Powhatan Books
Addall.com: Powhatan: The Story of an American Indian
Questia.com: Powhatan's World and Colonial Virginia

Chief Powhatan Merchandise

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eBay: Chief Powhatan Merchandise

Related Pages on Mahalo

Captain John Smith | Pocahontas | Chesapeake Bay | Virginia | Miles Standish | Jamestown Colony

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