Morattico (Moraughtacund) Indians: Virginia State Marker J-47

The unincorporated town of Morattico gets its name from the Moraughtacund Indians (Morattico is its Anglicanized name). They enjoyed a lengthy history in the area before meeting Captain John Smith, founder of Jamestown, in 1608. Smith helped broker a peace deal between the Morattico and the nearby Rappahannock Indians, a stronger rival tribe. While celebrated at the time, the interactions with Smith proved to be beginning of the end for the Morattico in the area; they vacated their land and moved westward by 1650.

Category: Agriculture & Foodways

Text of the Existing Marker J-47: Morattico

"The watermen’s community of Morattico, 3.5 miles west on Route 622, is named for the Moraughtacund Indians who met Capt. John Smith nearby in 1608. By 1698 the area had become part of Morattico Plantation, established by Joseph Ball I, father of Mary Ball Washington. Completion of a major wharf on the Rappahannock River in 1892 led to the rapid development of the village of Morattico, known for a time as Whealton. The community, a stop on the Baltimore-to-Fredericksburg steamship route until the 1930s, thrived as a center for oystering, crabbing, fishing, and large-scale seafood processing and distribution. The Morattico Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places."

Historical Background

In 1608, Captain John Smith, the founder of Jamestown, encountered the Moraughtacund Indians (also called Morattico) during his second Chesapeake voyage—the first interaction between the tribe and White settlers. The Moraughtacund Indians, part of the expansive Algonquin confederation, inhabited the area named after them (Morattico). Their history in the region dates back 8,000 years. However, by 1650, a mere forty-two years after meeting Smith, the Moraughtacund (Morattico) had vacated the area and traveled west.

Smith shared a meal with the Moraughtacund tribe and learned about their contentious relationship with the nearby Rappahannock Indians — they informed Smith that they had captured three of the Rappahannock leaders' wives. Smith responded by meeting with the Rappahannock and arranging for a peace deal, which included persuading the Moraughtacund Chief to surrender the women back to the Rappahannock in exchange for Smith providing the Moraughtacund leaders (and Smith's Indian guide) with women. On August 29, 1608, the Moraughtacund leaders arranged a feast to celebrate Captain John Smith's peace deal.

However, while the deal seemed fruitful, it would spell the beginning of the end for the Moraughtacund in modern-day Morattico. By 1650, the Moraughtacund had moved west across Morattico Creek (named after the second Morattico Indian habitation) and then to Richmond County, where one can also find places named "Morattico." One tribe member later remarked, "If only the compassionate Pocahontas had not twelve moons before beseeched her father to spare Smith's head, perhaps you would not have taken our hunting grounds, polluted our waters and exhausted our seafood." 

Green, Bryan Clark, Susan Reed, and Robert S. Mills. "Registration Form: The Village of Morattico Historic District, DHR# 051-5223." National Register of Historic Places. dhr.virginia.gov. 2011. https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/VLR_to_transfer/PDFNoms/051-5223_Morattico_HD_2011_NRHP_Nomination_FINAL.pdf

McCartney, Martha. "John Smith (bap. 1580–1631)." Encyclopedia of Virginia. Virginia Humanities. December 7, 2020. https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/smith-john-bap-1580-1631/.

Morattico Waterfront Museum. "The History." morattico.org. Accessed May 19, 2024. https://www.morattico.org/history.