Pocahontas Research Paper

The Jamestown landing in 1607 was the first English settlement to be established in North America. In the movie “The New World” Hollywood attempted to tell the story of the Jamestown settlement and the relationship between John Smith and Pocahontas. The movie’s portrayal of their relationship was one of two people falling in love. The historical facts of their relationship, however, paint a completely different picture. Hollywood failed to represent the truth and romanticized their relationship which was not one of love, but one of an acquaintance or friendship.

Pocahontas was faced with an impossible choice. Betray her father and tribe or betray her English friends, especially one who was very dear to her, Captain John Smith. Her decision was an important one that would help shape the New World. Overcoming hatred between families, love at first sight, and doing anything to protect each other describes Pocahontas and John Smiths' unique and special relationship. Their story is one of a complicated relationship that began when John Smith and his expedition embarked on America.

Pocahontas was born in 1595, with the given name of Matoaka and later got the nickname Pocahontas. She has been known as the favorite daughter of the powerful Powhatan Chief but she is also famous in history for contributing greatly toward the survival of the Jamestown colony. When the English colonists settled in Jamestown in 1607, there became tension between the Colonists and the Powhatan Indians. During the 1600s, the leader of the Colonists, Captain John Smith was caught by the Powhatan’s men. It has been said that Pocahontas saved Smith’s life and has had great influence on early relationships between the colonists and Indians. During Pocahontas’s life, she has faced many tragedies but triumphs have also played a role in her time.

Remember that Disney movie of an American Indian tribe member with the long, flowy hair? If so, that might have been Pocahontas. Pocahontas was the beautiful daughter of the Powhatan leader, who the English named Virginia. Her story was truly amazing. I chose this topic because of the curiosity of who this beautiful lady really was, and what journeys in life she had overcome. This topic was brought up in Social Studies class as we were doing centers. One of the centers was only about her, and I have been curious ever since.

Pocahontas was connected with English colonists through Captain John Smith. He arrived in Virginia on April 1607. John Smith was captured by a group of hunting men led by Powhatan’s relative while exploring

In Virginia, 1624, some of the first North American had settled and began to build the colony of Jamestown. The voyage to the new world, which was supposedly only supposed to take around three months, ended up taking a staggering five months. As a result of this the Jamestown colonists used all of their reserve and emergency food, and landed in Virginia in late Fall, not in early Spring. The colonists died from lack of food and starvation, and had to result to cannibalism until John Smith was kidnapped by Powhatan, the leader of the local Native American tribe. Powhatan was supposedly going to “execute” John Smith until his twelve-year-old daughter, Pocahontas, saved him. Many historians believe that Powhatan did not abduct Smith to kill him but to show him his immense power. While Powhatan may have had positive intentions, John Smith clearly did not get the memo as he often called the native Americans “Savages” in his writings. Turning the other cheek to this hate, Powhatan gave Jamestown supplies and food to show his desire for an alliance between the Native Americans and the colonists.

Latter Smith went back with the colonists and the relationship with the Powhatan was better they exchanged copper, beads, and tools for grains and other goods. Pocahontas frequented John Smith and had a good relationship. Although from time to time they had altercations due to the Englishmen acquiring more land and expanding more and more, the Powhatans refused to continue to provide food for them and the Englishmen in return burned the Powhatan villages. At other times, they would try to agree peace. One time Chief Powhatan threatened to kill John Smith, but Pocahontas warned him and once again she saved his life a second time and Smith was grateful to have her friendship. John Smith had an accident he was badly injured when a store of gunpowder exploded during a fight with the natives and was sent back to England, when Pocahontas went back to visit him they told her that he had

And so in 1607, a group of convicts, bachelors, and gold diggers – among others – landed by Chesapeake Bay and formed Jamestown. At first, times were hard in the settlement. There was a twenty-five-percent chance of death from starvation, native attacks, or disease. Hunger was so great that people began resorting to cannibalism. However, things improved in Jamestown when Captain John Smith became the governor. He created a rule that to eat, the people of Jamestown had to work. Hunger lessened and more people were contributing to building and farming. When John Smith was captured by the natives, a native girl called Pocahontas saved him. Pocahontas married a man named John Rolf, and there was peace between the natives and the colonists until a new man became chief of the tribe. He wanted revenge on the settlers, and the natives attacked Jamestown, killing three hundred and forty-seven

A girl about the age of 14 was taken from her tribe and brought to the colonists’ area for trading purposes. Her name was Pocahontas and her father was the head chief of the Powhatan. Instead of trading her for weapons and prisoners, this girl was taken to Henrico. She became somewhat of a settler. She grew familiar with the language and soon converted to Christianity, where she was then baptized. Within this process, John Rolfe took interest in her. John was uncertain about the decision to marry young Pocahontas. He disliked that she came from the Powhatan tribe. However, he then wrote a detailed letter to Governor Dale portraying his intentions to marry the young girl. This letter could be recognized as a dear love letter where John Rolfe pours out his feelings for Pocahontas. Within recorded information, a sense of embellishment is used; however, the feelings for this young girl are truly strong. The governor accepted the request and they were married in the spring of 1614. Peace came about between the colonists and Indians from the marriage between John Rolfe and Pocahontas. Eventually, the colonists expanded the Virginia colony and were permanent settlers before

Smith went back to England about 2 years later, and Pocahontas made regular visits to Jamestown bringing gifts

During the exploration, Natives capture the team killing all but Captain John Smith. He is taken back to Powhatan’s capital and spared when the chief’s daughter, Pocahontas, jumps in front of the natives, attempting to kill John Smith. He spends much time living with the Powhatan people and helping Pocahontas learn English. Soon enough, he is sent back to Jamestown, and John Smith becomes the leader of the Jamestown colony, though for a short period of time. Eventually, he is challenged because he refuses to take Indian captives. He is sentenced to hard labor for years, but when he is wanted to return to English to make an expedition to find the West Indies, John Smith gets an Englishman to tell Pocahontas that he is dead. Later, Pocahontas is baptized and married to John Rolfe. They travel to England where Pocahontas speaks with John Smith briefly. Before Pocahontas and John Rolfe travel back to Jamestown, Pocahontas dies of

Noticeably, this is at the time when the Southerners started to create a separation. This case was a demonstration of the role that Smith and Pocahontas had played in the transformation of the United State. Despite the cases of prejudice that existed in Pocahontas society, it is noted that the there was a strong association between the two individuals. Markedly, this relationship was pivotal to the creation of these characters. The role of Pocahontas in the development of the United States is also observed in the case where Smith moves to England and he later dies.

In the spring of 1616, Pocahontas, her husband, their one-year-old son Thomas, and a group of other Native Americans, men and women, sailed with Governor Dale to England. There she was entertained at royal festivities. The Virginia Company apparently saw her visit as a device to publicize the colony and to win support from King James I and investors. While preparing to return to America, Pocahontas fell ill, probably with lung disease. Her illness took a turn for the worse and interrupted her return voyage before her ship left the River Thames. She died in the town of Gravesend at about age 21 and was buried there on March 21, 1617. Afterward her husband immediately returned to Virginia; her son remained in England until 1635, when he went

He started scouting around and began drawing maps immediately. He met Pocahontas by almost shooting her by a water fall, and later they fell in love. He was captured later in the movie while venturing out alone at night to meet Pocahontas. John Smith was going to be executed on top of a rock at dawn, in front of an army of colonists who planned to rescue him. In reality, John smith was arrested and chained in irons during the voyage over, and he was released a month after arriving to Jamestown, Virginia. After he was set free, he did a lot of exploring and trading with the Indians. John Smith mapped most of the Jamestown area. He was eventually captured while seeking food along the Chickahominy River. John Smith was brought to Chief Powhatan and was sentenced to be executed. This is when he actually met Matoaka, the real name of Pocahontas, and she rescued him from execution. Matoake was the oldest daughter of Chief Powhatan. John Smith became good friends with Matoake, and eventually Chief Powhatan adopted Smith as his son. (Squidoo, Inc., 2012)

John Smith and Pocahontas did, in fact, meet and they did develop a kindly relationship. It is said that his love for her is what helped her negotiate the release of two Indian prisoners that John Smith had caught and he stated that “not only for feature, countenance, and proportion,” she “much exceeded any of the rest of Powhatan's people.” [4] It