Jamestown 1622

A dramatic illustrated exploration of the infamous massacre of 1622, and the events of a pivotal conflict in colonial American history.

Since 1607, English settlers of Jamestown maintained a shaky relationship with the Powhatan Confederacy. As the Virginians expanded their profitable tobacco fields, bolstered by new settlers each year, the Powhatan tribes grew wary of English power. In 1622, Chief Opechancanough shattered the peace with a surprise attack on the Jamestown settlements, an attack in which 347 English settlers, one-third of the Virginia colony, were killed in a single day. Opechancanough hoped to eliminate the European presence with a decisive blow, but instead began a decade-long war with Jamestown.

In this engaging and expertly researched work, Cameron Colby narrates the tumultuous events of Jamestown's early years. The first and second Anglo-Powhatan wars are brought vividly to life using battlescene artworks and period images. Detailed maps and 3D diagrams illustrate Native American and English tactics from 1607–34, and chart the progress of Jamestown’s expansion as English settlers sought to drive back the Powhatan tribes of the Chesapeake.