Powhatan
c. 1548
Powhatan (present-day Richmond, Virginia)
1618
Powhatan
Powhatan-Renapé leader
" . . . Why should you destroy us, who have provided you with food? What can you get by war? . . . "
Powhatan.
Powhatan was a major leader of the Powhatans, Renapé-speaking people of the region that is now Virginia. (Powhatan had taken the name of his tribe to signify his power.) Before the arrival of the English he had several other names, including Wahunsonacock ("He Makes an Offering by Crushing with a Falling Weight" or "He Knows How to Crush Them"). He was the main political leader in the area at the time the English were trying to establish their first permanent settlements, most notably Jamestown. Although Powhatan was suspicious of the English, he maintained generally peaceful relations with them. He used his diplomatic skills to avoid confrontation and to stay one step ahead of the colonists' efforts to take power and land from Native Americans. He was a successful politician with other Native American groups as well, forming a confederacy of more than thirty groups that lasted for several years. The peace established by Powhatan lasted until a few years after his death, when his brother Opechancanough led the Powhatans in uprisings against English settlers.
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