In 1607, the English built their first permanent colony at Jamestown, Virginia. Life was extremely difficult at first. Many colonists grew sick from the water or starved because they didn’t know how to farm in the new environment. The Powhatan Confederacy, led by Wahunsonacock, provided food and knowledge that helped the colonists survive. The two groups also traded goods. The Powhatan were interested in English items like metal tools, wool cloth, and guns, while the colonists needed food and furs. Early on, Wahunsonacock hoped to absorb the newcomers through hospitality and trade, but the colonists became increasingly dependent on Indigenous food and support.
Still, the relationship was tense. Both sides had different ideas about land and power. The Powhatan had no tradition of selling land, but the English believed they could own it. Disagreements often led to fighting. At times, the Powhatan refused to trade, and the colonists responded by raiding villages. When Captain John Smith returned to England in 1609, things became worse. During the winter of 1609 to 1610, known as the “starving time,” the Powhatan laid siege to the Jamestown fort, and hundreds of colonists died.
There were moments of peace. In 1614, Pocahontas, the daughter of Wahunsonacock, married English settler John Rolfe. This brought a few years of calm. But the balance did not last. After Wahunsonacock died in 1618, leadership passed to his brother Opechancanough. For a time, he kept peace with the colonists by signing agreements. But the number of settlers kept growing, and they took more land along the rivers, forcing Powhatan communities to move inland. Opechancanough saw that his people were losing land, food, and control. In 1622, he led a surprise attack that killed over 300 colonists.
The colonists responded by burning villages, stealing food, and killing Indigenous people. This led to ten years of violence, followed by a fragile peace. But by 1632, all Powhatan people were barred from traveling on the lower James-York peninsula. In the years that followed, settlers continued to expand. The Powhatan were pushed farther from their traditional homes and lost access to hunting and fishing grounds. Over time, smaller groups were forced to join with others, and some tribes lost their separate identities. Still, many Powhatan communities survived and continue to live in Virginia today.
