The following is a brief review of
information on
Virginia's Powhatan Indians, written for younger readers. This page was developed as part of the Virginia Indians page for students and teachers
doing research. The
primary source used for information on the Powhatans is
the first-hand report by
Thomas
Hariot to Sir
Walter Raleigh in 1588. The illustrations for this book
by Theodore De Bry are available at De
Bry Copper Plate Engravings. Raleigh's colony at Roanoke Island in
North Carolina only survived for one year. Members of the colony explored
parts of the present southeastern Virginia as well as North Carolina. The
Jamestown Colony was founded in 1607. At the time of the Jamestown
Colony, the native peoples of the coastal plain of Virginia had formed the Powhatan Confederacy.
Hariot's work is supplemented by that of scholars in the
field. The
legend of Pocahontas and Captain John Smith is one which
young people find very interesting. They may be interested to learn more
about Pocahontas's people.
Related pages: Virginia Indians, Eastern Woodland Indians Lesson Plans,
Native Americans
Who
Are the Powhatans and Where Did They Live?
The People;
Physical Appearance & Dress
Family Life
& Customs
Homes, Villages and
the Household Arts
Farming and Gathering
Hunting
Boats and
Fishing
Religion
Government
Warfare
Indians of the
Southeast; Juvenile & Professional Bibliography Includes
Powhatans, Cherokees & other groups.
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Site Administrator: Inez Ramsey, James Madison
University
E-mail: ramseyil@jmu.edu