What is John Ratcliffe (governor)?
'''John Ratcliffe''' was an explorer and [[colonist]] from [[England]]. In 1607, Ratcliffe became [[governor]] of [[Jamestown, Virginia|Jamestown]] in [[Virginia]] and in 1609, Ratcliffe was executed by a group of [[Pamunkey]] who [[kill]]ed him by [[flaying]] him. ==Name== When Ratcliffe was born in 1549, he was named John Sicklemore. By 1605, he changed his name to Ratcliffe. ==Virginia== Ratcliffe [[sail]]ed to [[Virginia]] as [[captain]] of a [[ship]] called The Discovery in 1607. At the time, [[Governor]] [[Edward Maria Wingfield]] was [[stealing]] [[food]] from his people for himself so Ratcliffe worked with [[Captain]] [[John Smith]] to get Wingfield to lose his position so Ratcliffe could become the new governor. ==Governorship== Ratcliffe sent Captain Smith to [[trade]] with the [[Native Americans]] and the colonists were [[angry]] since they thought that Ratcliffe was giving too much away. Ratcliffe also had them build a [[palace]] for the Governor when a lot of people in [[Virginia]] were [[sick]] and [[dying]] so they made Ratcliffe [[resign]]. ==Death== In 1609, Ratcliffe was [[Captain]] of a group of [[Englishmen]] who wanted to trade with the [[Powhatan people|Powhatan]] giving them [[copper]] to get [[corn]]. Ratcliffe came with 25 men to the [[meeting]] he had arranged with the Powhatan but found it was a trap. They [[kill]]ed 23 of Ratcliffe's men and also [[torture]]d Ratcliffe to [[death]] but the other two got away and told everyone what had happened. [[Powhatan]] [[women]] tied [[mussel]] [[shell]]s to Ratcliffe so that they could tear his [[skin]] from his [[body]] set it on [[fire]] and then [[kill]]ed him by [[burning]] what was left of his [[body]]. ==Popular Culture== Ratcliffe is the [[villain]] of the [[Disney]] [[movie]] [[Pocahontas (1995 film)]] where he wants all the [[gold]] in [[Virginia]] and wants to [[kill]] all [[Powhatan people|Powhatan]] because he's [[greed]]y and [[racist]] and he's also in the [[sequel]] where he tries to get [[King]] [[James VI and I]] to let h