(1595?–1617). Pocahontas is perhaps the most famous American Indian in history. The daughter of the powerful Indian leader Powhatan, she befriended the English colonists of Jamestown, Virginia, who came to her father's lands in the early 1600s. Pocahontas helped the colonists survive their first years in North America and struggled to establish peace between them and her people. Pocahontas was born in about 1595. Her real name was Matoaka. The name Pocahontas means “playful one.” Her father was the leader of an alliance of some 30 Indian tribes in what is now Virginia. As Powhatan's favorite child, Pocahontas led a privileged life. “Saving” John SmithPocahontas was about 12 years old when she first met the English colonists. Many years later the English leader Capt. John Smith wrote about his first encounter with the girl. In 1607 Smith was taken prisoner by a group of Indian warriors. They brought him to Powhatan, who, according to Smith, ordered his men to kill him. Just as they were about to club Smith to death, Pocahontas threw herself over his body. She persuaded her father to spare Smith's life and allow him to go free. The story of Pocahontas' rescue of Smith has become part of American folklore. It is not certain, however, whether the rescue ever took place. Smith was a skilled storyteller who often exaggerated his adventures. But even if Pocahontas did not save Smith's life, she did become a frequent visitor to the Jamestown settlement. She often brought gifts of food to help the settlers, who faced starvation as their food supply ran low. She also warned the colonists of possible Indian attacks. Living among the EnglishAfter Smith returned to England in 1609, relations between the settlers and Powhatan became strained. Pocahontas probably stopped visiting her English friends. In the spring of 1613 she was living among the Powhatan along the banks of the Rappahannock River. At the time an English captain was nearby on a trading expedition. He lured Pocahontas onto his ship and took her captive. The captain wanted to use Pocahontas to the colonists' advantage in their negotiations with Powhatan. Pocahontas was taken to Jamestown, where, according to the English, she was treated kindly. After being taught Christianity, she was baptized and given the Christian name Rebecca. At Jamestown Pocahontas met a widower named John Rolfe. In 1614 he requested permission from Jamestown's governor to marry Pocahontas. Both Powhatan and the colonists' leaders approved of the match. The couple were married on April 5, 1614, in the church at Jamestown. The wedding began an eight-year period of friendly relations between the Indians and the English that became known as the Peace of Pocahontas. In 1615 Pocahontas gave birth to Thomas Rolfe. The next year she and her family sailed to England. The young Indian woman caused a sensation in London. The king and queen received her at the palace, and the bishop of London entertained her. As the Rolfes prepared to return to Virginia, Pocahontas contracted smallpox. She died in March 1617 in Gravesend, England, and is buried there at Saint George's Church. |