Fredericksburg, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Amoroleck Encounters John Smith

Amoreleck Encounters John Smith Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Kathy Walker, March 24, 2008

1. Amoreleck Encounters John Smith Marker

Inscription. In August 1608, the first meeting between the Mannahoac Indian people of the Piedmont and the English colonists at Jamestown occurred at the falls of the Rappahannock River. Men from the upriver town of Hasinninga were hunting here at the eastern edge of their territory when they encountered John Smith and a party of Jamestown colonists. Following a brief skirmish, a Mannahoac man, Amoroleck, told Smith about the world beyond the falls, which included the Mannahoac, the Monacan, and the Massawomeck. Amoroleck explained that the Mannahoac resisted the English because they heard that the colonists were a people who came "to take their world from them."

Erected 2005 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number N-38.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Exploration • Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1608.

Location. 38° 19.137′ N, 77° 28.607′ W. Marker is in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

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It is at the intersection of Riverside Drive and Charles Street, on the left when traveling north on Riverside Drive. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Fredericksburg VA 22401, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area

and in Northern Virginia.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Upper South.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Contact: An Industrial Society Confronts A Native American Culture (about 500 feet away); Harnessing The River's Power (about 500 feet away); Tobacco and Iron (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Falmouth Crossing (approx. 0.2 miles away); M 1897 M4 (approx. ¼ mile away); Industrial Interlude (approx. 0.3 miles away); Veterans of Foreign Wars Eternal Flame

Photographed by Kathy Walker, March 24, 2008

2. Amoreleck Encounters John Smith Marker

The Rappahannock River is in the background.

(approx. 0.3 miles away); Killed in Action Memorials (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fredericksburg.

Another marker is no longer nearby. A Walking Tour of Fredericksburg’s Historic Old Mill District (was about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line but has been confirmed missing).

Credits. This page was last revised on February 2, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 16, 2008, by Kathy Walker of Stafford, Virginia. This page has been viewed 4,094 times since then and 186 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 16, 2008, by Kathy Walker of Stafford, Virginia. • Kevin W. was the editor who published this page.