Paspahegh facts for kids

The Paspahegh tribe was a Native American group. They were part of the powerful Powhatan chiefdom, joining it around 1596 or 1597. The Paspahegh tribe lived in what is now Charles City and James City counties, Virginia. The Powhatan group included many tribes. They all spoke similar Algonquian languages.

The Paspahegh were among the first tribes to meet British colonists. The British built their first lasting settlement, Jamestown, in Paspahegh land on May 14, 1607. Sadly, conflicts with the colonists and exposure to diseases led to the Paspahegh tribe disappearing by early 1611. They are no longer found in historical records as a separate tribe.

This marker in Charles City County remembers the Paspahegh tribe.

Understanding the Powhatan Chiefdom

Native American tribes in the Tidewater Region of Virginia were often called the "Powhatan Confederacy." However, this group of allied Algonquian tribes was not a true confederacy. A confederacy means groups unite but keep their own power.

Instead, Chief Powhatan's group was more like a chiefdom. In a chiefdom, one strong leader, like Chief Powhatan, has central power. From 1607 until his death in 1618, these Native Americans were part of Powhatan's "paramount chiefdom." This means he was their main ruler.

Key Moments: Paspahegh and Colonists

Here's a timeline of important events between the Paspahegh tribe and the British colonists.

1607: First Meetings and Conflicts

• May 4: English explorers first met the Paspahegh along the James River. They shared a feast. The Paspahegh leader, called a weroance, named Wowinchapuncke, gave a speech. The English could not understand him.
• May 14: English colonists began building a fort on Jamestown Island. This island was in Paspahegh territory. The Paspahegh sometimes camped there. Paspahegh warriors came to check on the fort.
• May 18: Wowinchapuncke and 100 armed men visited the Jamestown fort. An argument happened over an English hatchet. The Paspahegh left feeling angry.
• May 19: English colonists explored nearby and found a Paspahegh village. They received gifts of tobacco.
• May 20: Forty Paspahegh warriors brought deer for a feast at the fort. They showed the colonists that their bows could pierce wood, but not steel armor.
• May 26: A large group of 400 Native American warriors, including Paspahegh, attacked the fort. They stopped when the colonists fired guns. Some people on both sides were killed or hurt.
• June 15: The main leader, Chief Powhatan, announced a ceasefire. This made the Paspahegh raids stop.
• November: The Paspahegh returned an English boy who had run away. This showed they were no longer hostile. The colonists were starving. They bought small amounts of corn from the Paspahegh.
• December: While exploring, John Smith was captured by a large hunting party. This party included Paspahegh warriors. Smith met Chief Powhatan, who told the colonists to leave Paspahegh land. He suggested they move to another village. Smith was released on January 1, 1608.

1608: Rising Tensions

• Spring: An uneasy peace with Chief Powhatan began to break. The colonists started military drills. Paspahegh people began bothering the fort and taking tools.
• The colonists then raided and burned Paspahegh villages. Wowinchopunk released two English captives. The colonists only released one Paspahegh prisoner. Chief Powhatan sent his daughter, Pocahontas, to ask for the others back.
• Fall: The colonists faced starvation again. They tried to buy corn from Native American neighbors. But the tribes were less willing to sell. Many tribes, including the Paspahegh, hid when colonists came to buy corn.

1609: More Conflict and a New Fort

• Spring: Paspahegh harassment continued. John Smith, the colony's President, captured Wowinchapuncke. But he escaped. Smith then raided his town, taking canoes and killing people in another town.
• Wowinchapuncke later made peace. But he warned that if the colonists used force again, he would let them starve. He said, "We know you want to destroy us."
• October: John Smith left Virginia. The colonists built a new fort, Fort Algernon. This fort was in the territory of the Kecoughtan tribe.

1610: A Harsh Winter and New Leadership

• May: After a very hard winter, many colonists had died from starvation. Sir Thomas Gates arrived with more colonists and supplies. He decided to abandon the colony because the survivors were too weak.
• The next day, as they left, they met another English fleet. This fleet was led by a new governor, Lord De la Warr. He ordered everyone to return to Jamestown.
• July: Lord De la Warr was much tougher on the Native Americans. He sent Gates to drive off the Kecoughtan. He then told Chief Powhatan to return all captive colonists and their property. If not, there would be war.
• Powhatan said the colonists should stay in their fort or leave Virginia. De la Warr became angry. He had the hand of a Paspahegh captive cut off. He sent the captive back to Powhatan with another warning. Powhatan did not respond.
• August 9: Lord De la Warr sent colonists to attack the Paspahegh capital. They burned houses and destroyed cornfields. They killed many Paspahegh people. They captured Wowinchapuncke's wife and children. On the way back, the colonists killed the children and the queen.
• The Paspahegh tribe never recovered from this attack. They left their town. This attack, and others, started the First Anglo-Powhatan War.

1611: The End of the Tribe

• February 9: Wowinchapuncke was badly wounded in a fight near Jamestown. His followers later killed some colonists to get revenge.
• After this, the remaining Paspahegh people likely joined other tribes. They disappeared from historical records as a separate group. Later, the name Paspahegh was only used to talk about their old land.
• May 21: Sir Thomas Dale, the new governor, visited the old Paspahegh capital. He found it overgrown with weeds.

What Happened Next

The original capital of the Paspahegh Indians is now Sandy Point in Charles City County. English colonists settled there in 1617. They first called it Smith's Hundred. After 1619, they renamed it Southampton Hundred.

A church was built there before the Indian Massacre of 1622. This was a series of surprise attacks on English settlements in Virginia. It greatly reduced the number of colonists.

Exploring the Past: Archaeological Site

Archaeologists are studying an important site called Paspahegh, or Site 44JC308. It is near Jamestown, Virginia. This site is about 6 miles (10 km) from the old English fort. It was first found in 1983. It is one of the few places where we can learn about the early contact between Native Americans and Europeans in Virginia.

Researchers have found remains of houses, burial places, and other village structures. They also found artifacts like pottery and copper items.

Studying the site showed how important copper was to the Powhatan people. When the English arrived, copper was very valuable. It showed a person's high social status. Elite members were buried with copper items. This was believed to help them in the spiritual world.

As the English brought more copper, its value went down. It never regained the high status it had when the English first arrived. The English hoped to use their colony to get goods without relying on other European nations.

Other Paspahegh villages were located on the south bank of the Chickahominy River and on the north bank of the James River in Charles City County.