Pocahontas of the Powhatan

 

Pocahontas was a Powhatan Indian girl, born around 1595. She is known for her involvement with English colonial settlement of Jamestown, Virginia. While exploring on the Chickahominy River, John Smith was captured by a hunting party led by one of Powhatan's close relative’s Opechancanough, and brought to the Powhatan's home of Werowocomoco. It is said that she “saved” the life of the Englishman John Smith. As he was about to be beat to death by her father and some of the Powhatan Indians, Pocahontas placed herself in front of Smith so he would not be killed. This was considered a spiritual practice, and since she protected Smith, it was the beggining of a peace between the Powhatan’s and the colonists of Jamestown. Pocahontas was a sign of peace between the Powhatan and the colonists. She “fell in love” with a colonist by the name of John Rolfe later on in time. Pocahontas later married the colonist John Rolfe in 1614, changed her name to Rebecca Rolfe, and visited England on “her own accord. The love between John Rolfe and was all a fake and forced love by John Rolfe. Just before returning to the America’s, Pocahontas was struck with disease and died in 1617 before getting back on board to go home. Rolfe made it back to the America’s only to be killed in 1622 by one of the series of attacks by the Indians that left 347 settlers dead.