Today in History – April 17, 1644

The Powhatan King Opechancanough rallied his forces to make a final attempt at routing the English from his people’s land. The attack, launched on April 17, 1644, resulted in the death of at least five-hundred colonist, but, like the attempt made 22 years earlier, did not achieve its objective. The English captured Opechancanough, by then an old and feeble man, was taken to Jamestown, where he was shot in the back by a soldier against orders.