Jamestown | Chief Opechancanough | 5

In the summer of 1561, a Native American named Pachacaneo, who would later be known as Opechancanough, was captured and taken from Chesapeake Bay by Spanish mariners. What followed was a transformative journey through Europe and Mexico, where his experiences would deeply influence his future actions against European colonization.

Opechancanough’s Transformation and Deception

Pachacaneo was transported first to a Portuguese slave market in Lagos, then to Seville, and ultimately to Madrid where he met King Philip II of Spain in the fall of 1561. Witnessing the slave market made a strong impression on him, exposing him to the horrors and extent of European exploitation.

During his time in Spain, Pachacaneo was baptized as Don Luis de Velasco, a name that honored the Viceroy of New Spain, showing the significance of his conversion in the eyes of the Spanish. His ability to quickly adopt Spanish customs and Catholicism impressed the Spanish court and King Philip II, who eventually released him in the spring of 1562 to return to America, with the expectation that he would work to convert his people to Catholicism.

However, Ovi Cancono, as he was also known, had ulterior motives. After spending time in Mexico City, where he lived near where the Aztec pyramids once stood, Opechancanough became acutely aware of the erasure of indigenous life by the Spanish, learning about their conquests and the devastating impacts on native populations.

Opechancanough's keen intelligence and astuteness were apparent. He quickly learned Spanish and understood how to navigate Spanish power structures. His professed sincerity in conversion to Christianity convinced the Spanish authorities and facilitated his eventual return to his homeland.

Return to Homeland with Hidden Agendas

Don Luis returned to the Chesapeake Bay with a Jesuit expedition in ...

In the decades following his return from Europe, Opechancanough gained significant power within the Powhatan chiefdom, becoming an influential military advisor and war chief.

In the decades after his return from Europe, Opechancanough rose to a position of immense power and influence within the Powhatan chiefdom, serving as a key military advisor and war chief.

Opechancanough leveraged his experience with European tactics and his intelligence-gathering abilities to help the paramount chief Powhatan construct a formidable, unified chiefdom. This consolidation process spanned dozens of tribes and was a strategic move in preparation for potential conflicts with European colonizers.

The Powhatan chiefdom, which had emerged over the last three decades of the 16th century, spanned from south of the James River to the Potomac and encompassed at least 30 to 36 tribes with a population between 13,000 to 15,000 inhabitants.

Opechancanough's strategic leadership and his people's military strength made the Powhatan chiefdom one of the most powerful indigenous polities encountered by the early English settlers in Virginia.

The English settlers recognized the Powhatan as one of the most formidable native polities in the mid-Atlantic thanks to its elite corps ...

Opechancanough’s interactions with the English settlers in Jamestown were complex and strategic, involving initial peaceful coexistence, followed by a devastating attack on the English settlements.

Opechancanough initially sought to coexist peacefully with the English settlers in Jamestown, engaging in diplomacy and trade while carefully observing their strengths and weaknesses.

Opechancanough and his brother Powhatan closely monitored the struggling settlement at Jamestown, learning from the English population’s decline and previous conflicts about their military capabilities, particularly the use of firearms and cannons. During the period between May 1607 and spring 1609, both the Powhatan and the English assessed each other, with the Powhatan under the paramount chief seeking to incorporate the English into his chiefdom to acquire coveted trade goods such as firearms and steel weapons.

Desiring to continue peaceful relations, Opechancanough expressed interest in learning more about English customs and Christianity, even suggesting that his people could be educated in English ways. Diplomacy was displayed through conversations between John Smith and both Powhatan and Opechancanough despite mutual suspicions. The marriage of Pocahontas to John Rolfe symbolized the potential for peaceful coexistence.

Opechancanough temporarily lulled the English into a false sense of security through friendly overtures and the marriage of his daughter Pocahontas to colonist John Rolfe, all while secretly preparing his warriors for a devastating attack.

Opechancanough, however, engaged in a ruse to make the English settlers complacent. He approached the English in a friendly manner, giving them confidence that no harm was intended, but this was part of a deception to mask his true preparations for conflict. The English settlers, wanting to believe that their settlements were secure, were thus caught off guard when Opechancanough launched his attack.

In 1622, Opechancanough launched a coordinated assault on English settlements along the James River, killing hundreds of colonists in one of the deadliest attacks by indigenous peoples on European colonies in North America.

On March 22nd, 1622, Opechancanough executed a coordinated assault, avoiding fortified positions and carrying out a surprise attack inside palisade walls. He marshaled a coalition of perhaps 1,500 warriors who positioned themselves near the plantations they had traded with, and the attack took pl ...

Opechancanough's prolonged resistance to colonial encroachment on Powhatan lands is seen as a testament to his strategic brilliance and the robust spirit of the Powhatan people.

Despite the English settlers' ultimate survival and continued expansion, Opechancanough's prolonged resistance to colonial encroachment on Powhatan lands is seen as a testament to his strategic brilliance and the fortitude of the Powhatan people.

Opechancanough played a crucial role in resisting European colonization, particularly against the English in Virginia. His actions effectively prevented further Spanish settlement in the Chesapeake region and symbolize the resilience of the Powhatan people. While Opechancanough's efforts ultimately could not stop the English colonization of Virginia, the delay and challenges he posed to the settlers demonstrated both strategic acumen and a fierce commitment to his people’s autonomy.

The legacy of Opechancanough's resistance continues to be honored by the modern-day Pamunkey and other Virginia Indian tribes who descend from the Powhatan people and maintain a presence on their ancestral lands.

An unidentified speaker emphasizes that the legacy of Opechancanough’s resistance lives on through the Pamunkey people ...