Opechancanough
Opechancanough | |
|---|---|
| (Mangopeesomon) | |
'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 (see below) | |
| Paramount chief of the Powhatan Confederacy | |
| Preceded by | Opitchipam |
| Succeeded by | Necotowance |
| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 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 |
Opechancanough (/oʊpəˈtʃænkənoʊ/ oh-pə-CHAN-kə-noh; b. 1554 – d. 1646) was a sachem (or 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.
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.