The colonists of Jamestown only formed this colony to make money. Once they found out tobacco was their cash crop, they started growing it everywhere.  The new leader of the Powhatan tribe, Opechancanough, who took over the leadership of the Powhatan Confederacy after his brother Powhatan’s death, began to worry because the colonists were growing in population and taking their lands to grow more tobacco.  He wanted to stop the colonists from taking away whatever land they wanted.

At first, Opechancanough was reluctant to act because he did not want to break the peace that his brother worked very hard to keep.   But in the spring of 1622, the English captured and killed one of his warriors named Nemantanou.  This angered Opechancanough so much that he planned an ambush on the colonists. On March 22, 1622, which is a Good Friday, the Indians carried a surprise attack on the settlers who were totally unprepared. At the end of the Indian’s attack, 347 colonists had been killed.  Over 25 plantations around Jamestown were burned to the ground.  The colony might have had more victims if it were not for a warning from an Indian boy named Chanco.  Chanco was assigned to kill his employer Richard Pace, but he woke Pace during the night and told him about the attack. Pace immediately crossed the James River and warned the people at Jamestown. The people at Jamestown were able to prepare for the attack.

Colonists who survived the Good Friday attack retaliated soon.  And they did not care which Indians they attacked. And the raids were as vicious as Good Friday attack by Opechancanough.  The attacks and counter- attacks from both sides continued almost 10 years making Virginia very dangerous place to live.

Two years later in 1624, as a result of this incident, Virginia became a royal colony of England. This meant the English crown had direct authority over the colony instead of through the Virginia Company of London. The royal favorites could now profit from the colonies.