About Pocahontas

Many know Pocahontas' name, but not her history. Nevertheless, the tale of Pocahontas has become an enduring legend in American history. And yet, as much as her story was told, her own history fell by the wayside. As it turns out, the life Pocahontas led only makes her more compelling.

History

Born in or around 1595, the woman who would become known as Pocahontas started life as the daughter of Chief Powhatan, the leader of the Powhatan Confederacy. When English colonists arrived in Virgina in 1607, a teenage Pocahontas developed a friendly relationship with the Jamestown settlement and its leader, John Smith (who would return to England in 1609, after being injured in a gunpowder explosion). In 1613, English colonists captured Pocahontas, intent on trading her for English prisoners being held by her father. During her captivity, a colonist by the name of John Rolfe fell in love with her, and the two would marry in 1614. In the process, Pocahontas was baptized as 'Lady Rebecca.' The two of them traveled to England in 1616, where Pocahontas became a minor celebrity. But on a return voyage to Virginia, Pocahontas become severely ill, and died soon after.

Features

Pocahontas' real name was 'Matoaka.' 'Pocahontas' was actually a nickname, which meant "little wanton" or "playful girl": colonial accounts recall the young girl doing cartwheels, naked, around the Jamestown settlement. John Smith widely credited Pocahontas with saving the colonists from starvation on multiple occasions. Later, John Rolfe and Pocahontas - by then, known as 'Rebecca Rolfe' - produced a child, Thomas. Centuries later, many Americans - including Nancy Reagan, and Pauline de Rothschild - claim that they can trace their ancestry back to 'Lady Rebecca Rolfe.'

Theories/Speculation

The life of Pocahontas has become fertile ground for speculation, and no small number of debatable claims. In 1616, in a letter to England's Queen Anne, John Smith claimed that a young Pocahontas had saved his life ten years earlier - and yet, this account had not been mentioned in two books Smith had then written about his time in Virginia. Also, while she was widely seen in the eyes of the English as a Native American princess, and sometimes treated as such in royal European courts, Pocahontas' actual status in her society remains an unknown.

Misconceptions

By the 19th century, the history of Pocahontas had been rewritten to include a love story between her and John Smith, despite no evidence of this in the historical record. In these tellings, a lovesick Pocahontas was lied to about John Smith's death, and deceived into marriage by a conniving John Rolfe. Later tellings fit Pocahontas firmly into the mold of the "Noble Savage," going so far as to produce a 1855 burlesque show titled, "Po-ca-hon-tas, or The Gentle Savage." The 20th century reinvented the legend of Pocahontas anew, as a symbol of Native American values. In 1995, this trend reached its peak in the form of a popular Disney movie.

Significance

In colonial times, Pocahontas was held up as evidence that Native Americans could assimilate to "civilized" European values. In his letter to the Queen, John Smith pleaded that Pocahontas receive good treatment, lest her "present love to us and Christianity might turn to...scorn and fury." But after her death, many held up the idea of this iconic woman to advance their own agendas: both as testament to European assimilation, and later as a symbol of Native American values. She has since became the namesake for cities, trains, and even seams of coal. But her true nature - as princess, or diplomat, or even as spy - continues to inspire debate.

Resources

• Pocahontas
• Pocahontas Revealed: Images of a Legend
• Pocahontas: Medicine Woman, Spy, Entrepreneur, Diplomat