1628 woodcut of the massacre
Jamestown
Powhatan chief Openchancanough
March 22nd 1622: Jamestown massacre
On this day in 1622, the Jamestown massacre occurred in colonial Virginia. Jamestown was the first successful English settlement in North America, following the failure of previous attempts to colonise North America, most notoriously with the lost colony of Roanoke. On March 22nd, fighters of the Powhatan confederation of Native American tribes - also known as Algonquian Indians - came into the houses of the settlers in the area, grabbed their weapons, and attacked them. 347 people died in the incident, which made up a quarter of the English population at Jamestown. The massacre was in response to the colonists’ mistreatment of Native Americans, which included burning down their homes, destroying food supplies, and threatening expansion into their land. In retaliation, Native American fighters launched a surprise attack on the area. However, as it was forewarned, Jamestown itself was spared from the worst of the violence. The incident is one of many conflicts between Native Americans and English settlers in the early days of the colonial venture, as the settlers increasingly encroached upon indigenous land.
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