Person

Wahunsenacah

c. 1547–1618 · 16th century · Also known as Chief Powhatan, Wahunsonacock

Wahunsenacah, known to the English as Powhatan, was the paramount chief of the Powhatan Confederacy in Tidewater Virginia. Inheriting six chiefdoms, he extended his rule over some 30 Algonquian-speaking peoples, governing from Werowocomoco. He dealt with the Jamestown colonists from 1607 by turns through trade and war, and his daughter Pocahontas's marriage in 1614 brought peace until his death in 1618.

Wahunsenacah
Image: engraved by William Hole · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 profile

Powhatan ConfederacyFoundation, Socioeconomy, Military, Governance, Impact, Decline, Summary

Mentioned in 1 state history

Powhatan Confederacy

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Wahunsenacah. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/wahunsenacah
MLA
“Wahunsenacah.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/wahunsenacah. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Wahunsenacah.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/wahunsenacah.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Wahunsenacah’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/wahunsenacah (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻