From the establishment of Jamestown in 1607, English settlers in Virginia maintained a shaky relationship with the Powhatan Confederacy. As the settlers expanded their pro table tobacco fields, bolstered by new supplies and people each year, Powhatan tribes grew increasingly wary of English power. In 1622, Chief Opechancanough shattered the peace with surprise simultaneous attacks on Jamestown and its surrounding settlements, during which 347 English settlers, one-third of the Virginia colony, were killed in a single day. Opechancanough hoped to eliminate the European presence with a decisive blow, but instead began a decade-long war with Jamestown.

In this engaging and expertly researched work, Cameron Colby narrates the tumultuous events of the colony's early years. Engagements between 1607 and 1632 are brought vividly to life using battlescene artworks and period images. Detailed maps and 3D diagrams illustrate Native American and English tactics, and chart the progress of Jamestown's expansion as English settlers sought to drive back the Powhatan tribes of the Chesapeake.