Never heard of him.
Drove out the Spaniards?
Racist!
He was from Asia and not native to America.
Even in the Marxist 1619 history their heroes have to be European trained.
Kind of ironic for the anti-Western Civilization zealots.
No doubt the Powhatan’s had a “squad” who said: “Border security? Who needs it? Its racist and we should welcome these newcomers!”
And 50 years later, with his coordinated 1622 attack on Jamestown colony, he came close to ending English colonial ambitions in the region. But while he stands as one of the greatest military leaders in early America, his achievements remain almost completely unknown.
For about a year, the colonists thought those people were dead. With the colonists reduced by more than half, and being tremendously outnumbered by the local tribes, it took that year to begin to take the offensive, during which they learned of the large numbers of slaves the indians had taken.
Good!
interesting read.
thanx for the post
Good thing we ended up expelling the natives. They seem like really nasty folks.
Very interesting, but given the source (A&E Networks: a partnership of Hearst Communications and The Walt Disney Company), it could be mostly fictional.
I am prejudiced., but I thank Opechancanough for helping to insure most of North America did not become part of Spain. I look at the colonial societies founded by the English versus those founded by the Spanish and have been very glad for the former.
I am reading James Michener’s ‘Chesapeake’ now - this story fins in with it.
“But while he stands as one of the greatest military leaders in early America, his achievements remain almost completely unknown.”
Right up there with Tecumseh, Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, Chief Joseph, Cochise, Geronimo, Pontiac...etc.
Almost... he was *that* close.
I suspect that this is revisionist history...
It’s unclear that he was the same man the Spanish had abducted.
He was, however, Chief Powhatan’s younger brother, and he resented his brother’s conciliatory stance w/ the English. It is quite possible that instead of nearly wiping out the English, as this article claims, he accelerated the English conquest of his own people.
fta... But “Paquiquineo,” as Spanish officials rendered the young man’s name later that year, would in time re-emerge as Opechancanough, the most formidable warrior chief encountered by Europeans in 16th and early 17th century Virginia.
That Chief, Uncle of Pocahontas, led a raid on the fort at Olde Towne, Virginia Colony. His raid slaughtered ~ 400 colonists, including the first immigrant of my surname and his wife. Only their baby boy survived and lived to further the surname.
Saved. Part of family history.