Pocahontas Research Paper

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.

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

As young children we are often misled to believe that the stories and movies we are exposed to are presumably based on factual history, but are in reality myths, keeping the truthful, important, and fair facts hidden. Amonute is an accurate example of learning the real events that occurred in a person’s life while the typical myth of Pocahontas saved an Englishmen from being killed by her father. In the beginning of the book we are briefly introduced to Pocahontas, the Powhatan people and the English colonists. As the book continues we follow Pocahontas when she is kidnapped, her married life, and her trip to London where she got sick because of foreign illnesses and died. Camilla Townsends “Pocahontas and the Powhatan Dilemma” wants Pocahontas’ true story to unfold because she is worthy of respect for her bravery and sacrifice and because “everyone subverted her life to satisfy their own needs to believe that the Indians loved and admired them” (Townsend, pg. xi). I also believe that the author was trying to argue that even though the Englishmen believed that the Native Americans were uncivilized and lived like savages, that instead they were wise people.

It is said that there are many different versions to a story. There is one persons story, then there is an other person’s story, and then, there is the truth. “Our memories change each time they are recalled. What we recall is only a facsimile of things gone by.” Dobrin, Arthur. "Your Memory Isn't What You Think It Is." (online magazine). Psychology Today. July 16, 2013. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/am-i-right/201307/your-memory-isnt-what-you-think-it-is. Every time a story is told, it changes. From Disney movies to books, to what we tell our friends and colleagues. Sometimes the different sides to the story challenge the

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

David A. Price, Love and Hate in Jamestown: John Smith, Pocahontas, and the Heart of a New Nation (New York: Alfred A. Knopf)

Pocahontas was the most well-known woman in the first years of permanent British settlement on the Virginia Coast. There is a myth that she saved John Smith from murder by her tribe, but it is now thought that the tribe was trying to adopt Smith into the tribe, and the ritual was not life threatening. It is however, widely known that she was Chief Powhatan’s favorite daughter. Her high status allowed Pocahontas to serve as an intermediary between her people and the English settlers. She served as an interpreter and explained the different cultures of both sides. Without her, both her tribe and the English settlers would not have been able to talk to or trade with one another. At some point, the relationship between the settlers and the tribe

John Smith's tales of the Indian princess, Pocahontas, have, over time, encouraged the evolution of a great American myth. According to this myth, which is common knowledge to most Americans, Pocahontas saved Smith from being killed by her father and his warriors and then fell in love with John Smith. Some versions of the myth popular among Americans include the marriage of Smith and Pocahontas. Although no one can be sure of exactly what happened almost four-hundred years ago, most historians agree that the myth is incorrect. Pocahontas did not save John Smith's life from "savages" and never showed any affection for him. The events of her life differ greatly from the myth Americans have created.

Famous for saving the life of John Smith, Pocahontas is a legend (Morenus). The real question is “Who was Pocahontas and was she real or just a legend for kids?” Most people have heard of Pocahontas, who was primarily linked to the English colonist through Captain John Smith (Biography). Pocahontas, whose real name was Matoaka, was a native American who became famous for helping English colonists new to America (“Pocahontas Facts”). Matoaka, the beautiful and lively daughter of Powhatan (Morenus), ruler of the land that the English named Virginia, is a name most people question because they are not familiar with it, using the nickname “Pocahontas” instead. “Pocahontas” translates into many different things including “the playful one” or “little wanton” (Pocahontas Myth).

Many people believe the 1995 film, Pocahontas, to be the true story of a young Powhatan woman. However, the story lacks facts. Pocahontas isn’t even her real name. Matoaka, the real Pocahontas, faced mush more misery than the movie showed. Mataoka’s life in America, life in England, a comparison between the movie and real life, and how fictional portrayals of real people effect society today will show you that Disney’s inaccuracies could change history.

Pocahontas. What is thought of when that name is mentioned? For some, she was an Indian princess. For others, she was an Indian peacemaker. However, for many, she was an Indian savior. Pocahontas is one of those people that historians don’t know much about. She never left us any documents written by her. However, there are a few things written and drawn by others that paint a picture of this extraordinary girl’s life and legend. Pocahontas was a Native American girl who put her life in danger to save a foreign alien, known by most as John Smith.

As she began to grow older and stronger she was moved from house work to the fields. She often displeased her Master with her work, landing her in trouble constantly. But the opportunity to work in the fields worked to her advantage. She had the chance to meet free black people who were hired to work alongside the slaves, who told her of slaves who escaped to the north and how they did it. This was the beginning of the lust for freedom.

These are so many influential people in the world we live in. These many people positively change the world by their actions such as putting other lives before theirs, leading the path for others, and remembering to stay kind and helpful. Pocahontas, a friendly Powhatan Indian, and a brave friend, is one of those influential people. Pocahontas is influential because of her accomplishments, legacy, and her character.

[1] Disney’s Pocahontas has understandably received a lot of flak about the historically inaccurate story that is told about the legendary Pocahontas and Captain John Smith. There is a good reason for that. The movie does little that can be construed as historically accurate, yet Disney claims that was never their intent. Disney, in their previous movies, has been attacked for being racist and unsympathetic to racial minorities. Their answer was a movie whose sole purpose, as stated by Disney, was to promote racial tolerance. The question is, then can a movie promote racial tolerance when the issue is built on false history, history that if told accurately would depict the exact opposite?

Pocahontas. Americans know her as the beautiful, Indian woman who fell in love with the white settler John Smith and then threw her body upon the poor white captive to protect him from being brutally executed by her own savage tribe. The magical world of Walt Disney came out with their own movie version several years ago portraying Pocahontas as a tan, sexy Barbie doll figure and John Smith as a blond-haired, blue-eyed muscular Ken doll. Although Disney attempts to instill racial tolerance, inter-racial friendship, and nonviolent resolutions in Pocahontas, they contribute to the inaccurate Indian woman stereotype that has evolved from such stories. While it can be argued that Disney has