What were revitalization movements?

Indians' main strategy in the face of European settlement was to try to get along with Europeans as much as possible. Indians recognized that they could not defeat the Europeans entirely, and so attempted to find ways to cooperate with them. Periodically, however, Indians decided instead that they were steadily losing ground to European invaders, and so decided to fight back. When Indians fought to defend their lands they were fighting to preserve their way of life. So, their resistance to Europeans was not simply warfare, but was usually a revitalization movement, in which Indians rejected European civilization entirely. During these revitalizations, Indians often slaughtered livestock and threw away items that they had gained in trade with Europeans in an effort to return to their original way of life.

Indians often concluded that attempting to get along with the English was a failed strategy, and so determined to fight the colonists. In 1622, Indians living near Jamestown led by Opechancanough (Powhatan's brother and successor) fought to reclaim their land from the British invaders and to restore the Indians' original way of life. They nearly succeeded. Indian attacks killed more than 300 colonists and nearly wiped out the colony. The colonists, in turn, became increasingly hostile toward the Indians. In 1644, Opechancanough led another revitalization and revolt against the colonists, but was defeated. By 1645, the English had forced the Indians to surrender most of the lands along the Chesapeake Bay and so had gained control over this small, but crucial piece of land.