Big Chief Elizabeth cover

Big Chief Elizabeth

by Giles Milton

"Big Chief Elizabeth is the story of the extraordinary attempts by English adventurers to claim, divide, and colonize what would be the biggest jewel in Queen Elizabeth's crown: North America. From Richard Hore's 1636 journey to the ill-fated Sir Humfrey Gilbert's attempt, to Sir Walter Ralegh's extravant expeditions to Roanoke Island and Jamestown, which led to the first permanent English settlements in America, Milton tells a tale of startling greed, ruthless ambition, terrible hardship, and horrific wars between settlers and indigenous peoples.". "For almost twenty years the fate of Ralegh's colonists was to remain a mystery. When a new wave of settlers sailed to America to found Jamestown, their efforts to locate the lost colony were frustrated by the mighty chieftain Powhatan - father of Pocahontas - who vowed to drive the English out of America, though Pocahontas herself made valiant attempts to thwart the massacre of settlers. While Ralegh's "savage" March had played a pivotal role in establishing the first English settlement in America, he had also unwittingly contributed to one of the earliest chapters in the decimation of the Native American population."--BOOK JACKET.

More by Giles Milton

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?