Pocahontas

Pocahontas was the daughter of Native American chief Wahunsenacawh of the then-powerful Powhatan tribe. She is famous for initiating friendly relations between her tribe and the English settlers at Jamestown Colony after rescuing the explorer Captain John Smith from execution.

She spent her childhood on friendly terms with the Jamestown settlers, but was captured by colonists in 1613. Here, she was converted to Christianity and was given the name Rebecca after her baptism. Shortly thereafter, settler John Rolfe married her and soon took her back to England with him. There, she was the subject of public scrutiny and died in 1617.

Her story has been a popular myth of early colonial America. Not only celebrated in stories, she was also the basis for a number of films, including the 1995 Disney animated film Pocahontas and the 2005 drama The New World.

Fast Facts

1. Born: 1595
2. Died: March 21, 1617
3. Formal names: Matoaka or Amonute
4. Tribe: Powhatan
5. Spouse: John Rolfe
6. English given name: Rebecca Rolfe
7. Cause of death undetermined, likely due to pneumonia or tuberculosis, possibly smallpox

The Myth of Pocahontas

Since her story has become the stuff of colonial myth, it has often been recounted that Pocahontas and the explorer John Smith were engaged in a romantic relationship. In a letter to Queen Anne, Smith explained that the girl had thrown herself over his own body as Powhatan leaders were about to execute him. There are no written accounts of any romance between them, and such stories are likely an exaggeration of that first encounter.

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