Lethal Encounters: Englishmen and Indians in Colonial VirginiaThis in-depth narrative history of the interactions between English settlers and American Indians during the Virginia colony’s first century explains why a harmonious coexistence proved impossible. While the romanticized story of the Jamestown colony has been retold many times, the events following the marriage of Pocahontas and John Rolfe are less well known. The peace and goodwill did not last; within one hundred years of the English settlers’ arrival in Virginia, the Indian population had been reduced by more than 90 percent through warfare, disease, and indiscriminate extermination. Britain’s first successful settlements in America occurred more than four hundred years ago. Not surprisingly, the historical accounts of these events have often contained inaccuracies. This compelling study of colonial Virginia, based on the latest research, sheds new light on the tensions between the English and the American Indians and clarifies the facts about several storied relationships. In Lethal Encounters, Alfred A. Cave examines why the Anglo settlers were unable to establish a peaceful and productive relationship with the region’s native inhabitants and explains how the deep prejudices harbored by both whites and Indians, the incompatibility of their economic and social systems, and the leadership failures of protagonists such as John Smith, Powhatan, Opechancanough, and William Berkeley contributed to this breakdown. |
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Lethal Encounters: Englishmen and Indians in Colonial Virginia Alfred A. Cave No preview available - 2011 |
Common terms and phrases
Algonquian American Appamatuck Argall Assembly attack Bacon Bacon’s Rebellion Barbour believed Berkeley’s Burgess cannibals Captain John Smith captives Chesapeake Chickahominys Christian civilized claimed Colonial Virginia colonists colony’s command Company’s corn Council Dale Dale’s death declared Delaware devil Don Luis earlier enemies England English English settlement Englishmen expedition extermination Fausz fear force Frobisher Frobisher’s Gates genocide governor Haile Hakluyt Hamor Hariot Helen Rountree Henrico historian History Ibid Indian policy indigenous intended James River Jamestown Narratives killing King land later leaders letter lived London massacre Nansemonds natives Newport North noted Opechancanough Pamunkey paramount chief party Paspahegh Patawomecks peace Percy plantations planters Pocahontas Potomac Powhatan Press promised raids Richard Hakluyt Roanoke savages sent settlers ship Sir William Berkeley soon Spanish story Strachey survivors Susquehannock Thomas tion trade treaty tribes upriver venture village Virginia Colony Virginia Company Voyages warriors werowance Werowocomoco William Strachey Wyatt Yeardley