Pocahontas
Pocahontas was a Native American woman who played a significant role in the early history of the United States. She was born in Virginia in the late 16th century and became known for her interactions with English colonists, particularly with John Smith.
Her life has been the subject of many books, films, and other works of art, and she is remembered as a symbol of Native American resilience and resistance to colonialism.
Pocahontas is one of the most famous women in Native American history. Even though all American children learn about Pocahontas in school, there are still parts of her life that are misunderstood. We know for sure that she was the daughter of Chief Powhatan. Some sources say she was his favorite daughter. She apparently met John Smith, the leader of the Jamestown colony in 1607.
Pocahontas Facts For Kids
- Pocahontas was born around 1596, in Virginia.
- She was a Native American princess.
- Her real name was Matoaka, not Pocahontas.
- Pocahontas means “playful one.”
- She saved John Smith’s life, as per legend.
- She learned English and was baptized, Rebecca.
- Pocahontas married an Englishman, John Rolfe.
- She had a son named Thomas Rolfe.
- Pocahontas visited England in 1616.
- She died at age 21, in 1617.
Native American History
Pocahontas was a member of the Powhatan tribe in Virginia. She’s known for helping to ease tensions between her tribe and English settlers in Jamestown. According to stories, she even saved the life of Captain John Smith. She later married an Englishman named John Rolfe. This marriage represents a moment of peace between the cultures. Pocahontas’s life symbolizes an important time in Native American history.
Jamestown Settlement
Pocahontas was important for the early Jamestown Settlement in Virginia. As a Powhatan leader’s daughter, she helped improve relationships between her tribe and the English settlers. One famous story says she saved Captain John Smith, a leader in Jamestown. Pocahontas later married a settler, John Rolfe, which helped maintain peace for a time. Her story is a key part of Jamestown history.
Captain John Smith
Pocahontas and Captain John Smith are well-known figures in early American history. Smith, a leader in Jamestown, was once captured by Pocahontas’s tribe, the Powhatans. According to Smith, Pocahontas saved his life by intervening at his execution, convincing her father to spare him. This event improved relations between the Jamestown settlers and the Powhatans for a time. The story of Pocahontas and Smith symbolizes early interactions between Native Americans and Europeans.
John Rolfe
John Rolfe was an English settler in Jamestown. He met Pocahontas during her captivity and later married her in 1614. This was the first recorded intercultural marriage in American history. Their marriage helped to maintain peace between the English settlers and the Powhatan tribe. They had a son named Thomas, symbolizing the potential for harmony between the two cultures.
Powhatan Tribe
Pocahontas was part of the Powhatan Tribe in Virginia, the daughter of Chief Wahunsenacawh. Her interactions with English settlers, including saving Captain John Smith and marrying John Rolfe, impacted relations between the tribe and settlers. These actions led to a brief period of peace known as the “Peace of Pocahontas”. Even after becoming part of English culture, Pocahontas remains an important figure in Powhatan history.
Colonial America
Pocahontas was a key figure in early Colonial America. As part of the Powhatan Tribe in Virginia, she helped improve relations between her tribe and English settlers at Jamestown. This included saving Captain John Smith’s life and marrying John Rolfe. After converting to Christianity and being renamed Rebecca, she traveled to England. Her story illustrates the cultural changes during European colonization.
English colonization
Pocahontas played a key role in early English colonization in America. Born into the Powhatan Tribe, she had important interactions with English settlers in Jamestown, like Captain John Smith and John Rolfe. Her actions helped improve relations between her tribe and the settlers. After converting to Christianity and marrying Rolfe, she traveled to England. Her story influenced English colonization efforts.
Native American-European Relations
Pocahontas is key to the history of Native American-European relations. As a Powhatan princess, her interactions with Jamestown settlers improved relations. She reportedly saved Captain John Smith’s life and married John Rolfe. Her conversion to Christianity and travel to England show the cultural exchange during this period. Her life symbolizes the complexities of cross-cultural interactions during colonial times.
Virginia Company of London
Pocahontas had important interactions with the Virginia Company of London, which established Jamestown. Her actions, like saving Captain John Smith and marrying John Rolfe, were used by the company to encourage more investment in the settlement. After converting to Christianity, she was taken to England to show the company’s success in the New World. Her story remained a valuable tool for promoting the Virginia Company’s efforts.
Samuel Argall
Captain Samuel Argall played a key role in Pocahontas’s life by capturing her in 1613. She was used to negotiate with her father, the Powhatan leader. During her captivity, Pocahontas converted to Christianity and met John Rolfe, whom she later married. These events led to a period of peace between the English settlers and Powhatan tribes.
Powhatan people
Pocahontas, daughter of the Powhatan chief, was important for Powhatan-English relations. Her actions, such as saving Captain John Smith and marrying John Rolfe, impacted relations between the two groups. Despite assimilating into English culture, her story remains a symbol of the Powhatan people’s resilience during colonial times.
Heroic Rescue and Misconception of Marriage
There is a famous story about Pocahontas saving John Smith’s life. According to the story, Smith was captured by Powhatan’s warriors, and was about to be killed. Pocahontas intervened and rescued Smith. Some people believe that this event was a type of “adoption” ceremony performed by Indians. Over the years, the story grew to the point that Pocahontas and John Smith were married. This, however, is not true. It might make a nice story, but Pocahontas married someone else!
Pocahontas and John Smith: Early Encounters and a Temporary Farewell
Pocahontas was about eleven when she met John Smith. This would have been in 1607, the year the colonists landed in Jamestown. She visited the colony often, usually bringing food. Many sources report that Pocahontas’s visits and gifts of food kept the colonists alive during their first year or so in Jamestown. At one point, John Smith was injured in a gunpowder explosion. He returned to England for treatment. The colonists told Pocahontas and the other Native Americans that he was dead. After hearing of Smith’s “death,” Pocahontas stopped visiting the colony for several years.
Pocahontas and John Rolfe: A Marriage of Tobacco and Prosperity
The man Pocahontas actually DID marry was John Rolfe. Rolfe was a leading colonist in Jamestown. He was important to the history of the colony because he showed the colonists how to grow tobacco. Tobacco allowed the colonists to finally make a profit.
Pocahontas: From Conversion to English Celebrity
At some point in adulthood, Pocahontas converted to Christianity and took the name “Rebecca.” After her marriage to John Rolfe, the couple and their son, Thomas, were invited to England by the Virginia Company, which funded the Jamestown expedition. The Virginia Company believed that Pocahontas would help attract new settlers to Jamestown. In England, Pocahontas was a celebrity! She met many of the most important people of the day. She had her portrait painted wearing stylish English clothes. She even met King James and Queen Anne!
Pocahontas and John Smith’s Emotional Reunion: A Bittersweet Farewell
Believe it or not, John Smith was in London at the same time as Pocahontas. They met, and Pocahontas was too overcome with emotion to speak! (Remember, as far as she knew, Smith was dead.) After she calmed herself, Pocahontas enjoyed talking about old times with John Smith.
The Rolfes were in England for several months, but eventually decided to return to Jamestown. Unfortunately, Pocahontas became very sick, and died before leaving England. She was only twenty-two, and had already earned a spot in history!
What was Pocahontas’s real name?
Pocahontas’s real name was Matoaka, which means “bright stream between the hills” in her native language. She was the daughter of Powhatan, the chief of the Powhatan tribe in Virginia. Pocahontas became famous for her interactions with English colonists, including saving the life of John Smith and eventually marrying John Rolfe.
What tribe did Pocahontas belong to?
Pocahontas was a member of the Powhatan tribe, which was a confederation of Native American tribes in Virginia. She was the daughter of Chief Powhatan, who ruled over the confederation. Pocahontas played a significant role in the early history of the Jamestown colony, as she helped establish a peaceful relationship between the English settlers and the Powhatan people.
When was Pocahontas born?
Pocahontas, also known as Matoaka and Amonute, was born in 1596 in Werowocomoco, Virginia. She was the daughter of Powhatan, the paramount chief of Tsenacommacah, a Native American tribe in the Chesapeake Bay area. Pocahontas is known for her role in the early history of the English settlement at Jamestown, Virginia, and for her marriage to Englishman John Rolfe.
What was Pocahontas’s relationship with Captain John Smith?
Pocahontas’s relationship with Captain John Smith is a topic of debate among historians. Some believe that she saved his life when he was captured by her tribe, while others argue that the story was embellished or fabricated. Regardless, their interactions played a significant role in the early colonization of America and the relationship between Native Americans and European settlers.
Did Pocahontas really save Captain John Smith’s life?
Historical evidence suggests that the story of Pocahontas saving Captain John Smith’s life may have been exaggerated or even fabricated. While Smith himself wrote about the incident, his accounts vary and some historians believe that he may have embellished the story to make himself appear more heroic. Additionally, there are no records of the event in Powhatan tribe histories, leading some to question its authenticity.
What happened to Pocahontas after she met Captain John Smith?
After Pocahontas met Captain John Smith, she was taken captive by the English and held for ransom. During her captivity, she converted to Christianity and was baptized as Rebecca. She eventually married John Rolfe and traveled to England, where she was presented to King James I as an example of the “civilized savage.” She died at the age of 21 in England, possibly from smallpox.
Who did Pocahontas marry?
Pocahontas, a Native American woman, married John Rolfe, an English settler, in 1614. The marriage was seen as a way to bring peace between the Powhatan tribe and the English colonizers in Virginia. Pocahontas and Rolfe had one son together and she traveled to England with him, where she died at the age of 21.
Did Pocahontas have any children?
Historical evidence suggests that Pocahontas, the daughter of Chief Powhatan, married Englishman John Rolfe in 1614 and had one child, a son named Thomas. However, there is little information about Pocahontas’ life after her marriage and it is unclear if she had any other children. Thomas went on to have children of his own and his descendants can still be found today.
Where did Pocahontas die?
Pocahontas, also known as Rebecca Rolfe, died in March 1617 in England. She had traveled to England with her husband, John Rolfe, and their young son, Thomas, in 1616. Pocahontas became ill while preparing to return to Virginia and died at the age of 21. She was buried in the parish church of St. George in Gravesend, England.
How old was Pocahontas when she died?
Pocahontas was born in 1596 and died in 1617 at the age of 21 or 22. Her exact birthdate is unknown, but historians estimate it to be around April of 1596. She died in England while visiting with her husband, John Rolfe, and their young son. The cause of her death is also unknown, but it is believed to have been due to either smallpox or pneumonia.
What is Pocahontas’s legacy?
Pocahontas’s legacy is complex and multifaceted. She is remembered as a symbol of Native American resistance against colonialism, as well as a figure who helped to bridge the gap between Native Americans and Europeans. However, her story has also been romanticized and distorted over time, and her true impact on history remains a subject of debate and interpretation.
