Un-formatted Timeline (They have it organized but I can’t copy and paste the actual design.)
Before 1607 – Long Before the English Came
10,000 BCE – The ancestors of the Monacan people lived in Virginia, hunting, fishing, and gathering food.
1000 CE – Monacans built permanent villages along the James River. They grew corn, beans, and squash. These crops were called the “Three Sisters” because they helped each other grow: corn provided a tall stalk for beans to climb, beans added nutrients to the soil, and squash spread along the ground to keep weeds away and the soil moist.
1400s–1500s – The Monacan controlled much of central Virginia. They traded with neighbors and built strong wooden walls (palisades) around their villages.
600s – A New World Begins
1607 – English settlers arrived in Jamestown. The Monacans lived farther west and did not trust the English newcomers.
Side Note: Look at the John Smith map. It will show you the ancestral land on which the Monacan People lived.
1608 – English explorer Christopher Newport visited Monacan towns, but the Monacans refused to trade with him. They did not trust the English, who had already begun taking land and resources from neighboring tribes and wanted to protect their people and way of life.
1656 – The Battle of Bloody Run, fought near present-day Richmond, caused a great loss for the Monacan Nation. Many Monacan warriors were killed in the conflict, weakening their presence in the region.
1677 – The Monacan people signed the Treaty of Middle Plantation, which made peace between the English and Native American tribes in Virginia and promised that Native people could keep their land and hunt and fish if they paid tribute. But some members decided to move west instead of living under English control.
1680 – A Monacan Chief named Shurenough signed the treaty again as the “King of the Manakins.”
1700s – Searching for Safety
1700–1701 – French settlers took over Monacan land near the James River. The Monacan people who still remained moved into the mountains.
1755 – A map created by cartographer John Mitchell shows Monacan villages near present-day Amherst County. Although the Monacans lived peacefully, English and German settlers increasingly encroached on their lands, pushing them from their traditional territories.
1800s – Building Community
1830 – The U.S. government began removing Native Americans from their lands. The Monacans are not forced away, but they lose rights and land.
1831–1833 – A Monacan leader, William Johns, buys land at Bear Mountain to protect his people.
1868 – The Monacan Nation built a church at Bear Mountain. It becomes the heart of their community.
1900s – Hard Times and Hard Work
1908 – A school was built at Bear Mountain for Monacan children, but it only went to 7th grade.
1924 – The Racial Integrity Act erased Native identity from records. Monacans were labeled “colored” on official documents.
1930s–1950s – Monacan children could not attend regular public schools and faced discrimination.
1964 – Monacan students were finally allowed in public schools.
Today – Strong, Proud, and Recognized
1989 – Virginia officially recognized the Monacan Indian Nation.
2018 – The U.S. government grants the Monacan Nation federal recognition.
Today – The Monacan Nation celebrates its culture, teaches its history, and holds an annual Powwows to honor traditions.