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Essay about The Enduring Significance of Pocahontas

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Pocahontas

Pocahontas was the daughter of the American Indian Chief Powhatan. Pocahontas, a young Powhatan Indian princess, affected a remarkable and significant relationship first with a small group of English settlers at Jamestown and later with the English rulers of the New World. She worked to maintain good relations between the Indians and early English colonists in America.

Pocahontas emerged from a culture of dark superstitions. A culture of easy cruelty and primitive social accomplishments. Her father was a remarkable and powerful leader- fierce and clever. By the seventeenth century he had made his people not less primitive but certainly stronger and more formidable than they had ever been before. He added …show more content…

This reason help keep the Powhatan-English co-operation alive and served to strengthen the colonists morale. In December 1607, as the Powhatan warriors were about to fall on Smith with their clubs, the young princess, stepped out of the crowd of Powhatan's who had come to witness the execution. She took Smith's head into her hands and placed her head upon his and begged her father to spare his life. According to Powhatan custom Pocahontas was now Smith's guardian. Smith had become her special ward or possession.

By 1608, fighting had broken out between the white settlers and Powhatan's Indians. In 1613, Pocahontas was lured on board an English ship and temporarily held captive, by and English Captain Samuel Argall. Argall agreed to release Pocahontas if Powhatan would agree to an enduring peace. Powhatan sent back to Jamestown seven Englishmen he had held captive, but kept all the stolen English goods. He also only sent one canoe full of grain, though he promised to try to send more after the harvest. But there was no indication that he had decided to stop fighting. Soon Powhatan did not respond further to Pocahontas abduction. Knowing that she was safe and well cared for, Chief Powhatan simply let the seasons pass away.

While waiting hopefully for some positive response from Chief Powhatan, Pocahontas was converted into a Christian. Finally, in the spring of 1614, Pocahontas received

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