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Opechancanough
Powhatan Confederacy chief / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Opechancanough (/oʊpəˈtʃænkənoʊ/ oh-pə-CHAN-kə-noh; 1554–1646)[2] was paramount chief of the Powhatan Confederacy in present-day Virginia from 1618 until his death. He had been a leader in the confederacy formed by his older brother Powhatan, from whom he inherited the paramountcy.
Quick Facts Paramount chief of the Powhatan Confederacy, Preceded by ...
Opechancanough | |
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![]() 'John Smith taking the King of Pamunkey prisoner', a fanciful image of Opechancanough from Smith's General History of Virginia (1624). The image of Opechancanough is based on a 1585 painting of another native warrior by John White[1] (see below) | |
Paramount chief of the Powhatan Confederacy | |
Preceded by | Opitchipam |
Succeeded by | Necotowance |
Personal details | |
Born | 1554 |
Died | 1646 (aged 92) Jamestown, Colony of Virginia, British America |
Cause of death | Shot in the back while a prisoner |
Resting place | Pamunkey Reservation, King William, Virginia, U.S. |
Relatives | Chief Powhatan (brother) Pocahontas (niece) John Rolfe (nephew-in-law) |
Military service | |
Allegiance | Powhatan Confederacy |
Battles/wars | Anglo-Powhatan Wars |
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![Thumb image](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bf/Ch2Opechancanough.jpg/320px-Ch2Opechancanough.jpg)
Opechancanough led the Powhatan in the second and third Anglo-Powhatan Wars, including the Indian massacre of 1622.
In 1646, the aged Opechancanough was captured by English colonists and taken to Jamestown, where he was killed by a settler assigned to guard him.