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Pocahontas, Powhatan, Opechancanough: Three Indian Lives Changed By Jamestown Hardcover – January 1, 2005

4.2 out of 5 stars 63 ratings

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Pocahontas may be the most famous Native American who ever lived, but during the settlement of Jamestown, and for two centuries afterward, the great chiefs Powhatan and Opechancanough were the subjects of considerably more interest and historical documentation than the young woman. It was Opechancanough who captured the foreign captain "Chawnzmit"—John Smith. Smith gave Opechancanough a compass, described to him a spherical earth that revolved around the sun, and wondered if his captor was a cannibal. Opechancanough, who was no cannibal and knew the world was flat, presented Smith to his elder brother, the paramount chief Powhatan. The chief, who took the name of his tribe as his throne name (his personal name was Wahunsenacawh), negotiated with Smith over a lavish feast and opened the town to him, leading Smith to meet, among others, Powhatan’s daughter Pocahontas. Thinking he had made an ally, the chief finally released Smith. Within a few decades, and against their will, his people would be subjects of the British Crown.

Despite their roles as senior politicians in these watershed events, no biography of either Powhatan or Opechancanough exists. And while there are other "biographies" of Pocahontas, they have for the most part elaborated on her legend more than they have addressed the known facts of her remarkable life. As the 400th anniversary of Jamestown’s founding approaches, nationally renowned scholar of Native Americans, Helen Rountree, provides in a single book the definitive biographies of these three important figures. In their lives we see the whole arc of Indian experience with the English settlers – from the wary initial encounters presided over by Powhatan, to the uneasy diplomacy characterized by the marriage of Pocahontas and John Rolfe, to the warfare and eventual loss of native sovereignty that came during Opechancanough’s reign.

Writing from an ethnohistorical perspective that looks as much to anthropology as the written records, Rountree draws a rich portrait of Powhatan life in which the land and the seasons governed life and the English were seen not as heroes but as Tassantassas (strangers), as invaders, even as squatters. The Powhatans were a nonliterate people, so we have had to rely until now on the white settlers for our conceptions of the Jamestown experiment. This important book at last reconstructs the other side of the story.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Makes good on the promise to tell the story of early seventeenth-century Virginia from the Native Americans' point of view." -- Karen O. Kupperman, author of Indians and English: Facing Off in Early America

About the Author

Helen C. Rountree, Professor Emerita of Anthropology at Old Dominion University, is the author and editor of numerous works on the Native Americans of the East Coast, including Powhatan Foreign Relations, 1500-1722 and, with Thomas E. Davidson, Eastern Shore Indians of Virginia and Maryland (both Virginia).

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Univ of Virginia Pr
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 1, 2005
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 292 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0813923239
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0813923239
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.4 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 0.75 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 out of 5 stars 63 ratings

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4.2 out of 5 stars
63 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book well-written and enjoyable to read. They appreciate the information quality, with one customer noting it provides a much-needed account of Powhatan's history.

8 customers mention "Information quality"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's information interesting and well-researched, with one customer describing it as a fine piece of ethnohistory and another noting its accurate historical perspective.

"...What I admire most about her account is its clear depth of knowledge about the various sources she uses, and particularly, her understanding of the..." Read more

"Great and well written and researched and much needed account of the histories of Powhatan and his people including Pocahontas. Very enjoyable read." Read more

"The historical perspective seems more accurate than most books on the subject of the Virginia settlement." Read more

"Author is very knowledgeable on the subject. If you like early American history joy will like this book." Read more

4 customers mention "Readability"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and enjoyable to read.

"...However, what my students respond to is her engaging, complex story telling...." Read more

"Great and well written and researched and much needed account of the histories of Powhatan and his people including Pocahontas. Very enjoyable read." Read more

"Very informative, entertaining, great!" Read more

"...This is not a light read, but I find it well-written and engaging. I also enjoy the sprinkles of humor the author adds throughout. A good read." Read more

3 customers mention "Writing quality"3 positive0 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book.

"...This is not a light read, but I find it well-written and engaging. I also enjoy the sprinkles of humor the author adds throughout. A good read." Read more

"Great and well written and researched and much needed account of the histories of Powhatan and his people including Pocahontas. Very enjoyable read." Read more

"Well written. Found out through Ancestry.com that Pocahontas was a very distant Aunt of mine with her father being my Grandfather. Still reading it." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2012
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Roundtree's narrative does something truly remarkable; it uses her extensive understanding of the Powhatan culture of the 17th century to reconstruct their point of view. Always conscious of the limitations of such an act, she nonetheless succeeds brilliantly at her task. Her reconstruction is utterly faithful to everything I have ever read about Algonquian cultural practice. Moreover, she places the story of Pocahontas in context with the larger political struggles of the tribe, as represented through the lives of her father and uncle.

    What I admire most about her account is its clear depth of knowledge about the various sources she uses, and particularly, her understanding of the complexity of John Smith's accounts (there are more than one, and they all vary) and grasp of the lifeways of the Powhatans of that era. Her approach is informed, balanced, and fair-minded.

    However, what my students respond to is her engaging, complex story telling. I frequently assign her chapter on the first encounter between the Powhatans and John Smith; it is one of the best texts I have ever found for throwing college students into the conflicting world views in play in the 17th century contact between North American and European peoples.

    In sum, I recommend this book in the highest terms to anyone interested in a fuller understanding of the conflicts between Algonquian peoples and Europeans in the early phase of colonization, not just to those interested in Pocahontas. It is a fine piece of ethnohistory, and one that demonstrates how much anthropology has evolved from its early attempts to 'speak for the native.'
    15 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2012
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    This book is the story of Jamestown from the Native American point of view. It covers lots of the political and social misunderstandings that proved disastrous for both cultures. This is not a light read, but I find it well-written and engaging. I also enjoy the sprinkles of humor the author adds throughout. A good read.
    5 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2014
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Great and well written and researched and much needed account of the histories of Powhatan and his people including Pocahontas. Very enjoyable read.
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 25, 2019
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    The historical perspective seems more accurate than most books on the subject of the Virginia settlement.
  • Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2022
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I would not recommend buying this version of the book, none of the pages have numbers making it very hard to navigate if you're trying to follow along for class and cite your sources.
  • Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2016
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Author is very knowledgeable on the subject. If you like early American history joy will like this book.
  • Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2018
    Very informative, entertaining, great!
  • Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2013
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Well written. Found out through Ancestry.com that Pocahontas was a very distant Aunt of mine with her father being my Grandfather. Still reading it.
    3 people found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, Kindle version lacking
    Reviewed in Canada on August 14, 2023
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Book itself is good but Kindle version has some typos and still has the black rectangles in place of pictures.