Pocahontas’ birth name was Matoaka she was born around the year 1595 to Powhatan the Chief of the Algonquian Indians. She was given the nickname Pocahontas because of her playful nature; it was because of that nature she was sent to live with her mother until the age of six. The name Pocahontas translates to, “The Spoiled Child.” The Algonquian Indians were located in Virginia when a ship filled with English settlers arrived around 1607. The most famous of the Englishmen was John Smith, who claimed to have been on an expedition in December when Powhatan captured him. He later revealed the Indians offered him a feast and immediately upon finishing he was physically held against two rocks where Indians were positioned to kill him.
By placing her hands to his face, twelve-year-old Pocahontas prevented his death. John Smith and Pocahontas developed a friendship similar to that of father and child where they communicated often. One year later she was placed in charge of sending food and animal furs to the starving and cold English settlers located in Jamestown. Both the Indians and the settlers traded goods though cordial and it was evident the two groups didn’t like one another. By the following year John Smith had returned to England due to a serious gunpowder explosion, which left him badly injured. In 1610 fifteen-year-old Pocahontas was married to an Indian Captain name Kocoum, where they lived for three years amongst their people. During the third year she was kidnapped by a group of Englishmen who wanted to ransom her off. They requested her father release prisoners and provide them with corn and weapons they believed the Indians had stolen; however, they received only half of their request by her father.
Photo Credit|Joe Shlabotnik;Flickr 2010
The Englishmen held her captive for one year. She was eventually taken to a settlement name Henrico where she was taught Christianity. During her captivity she met John Rolfe, a widower and one of the first known people in tobacco production who fell in love with Pocahontas. She was later baptized, renamed Rebecca, and married to John Rolfe in the year 1614. They had a son whom they named Thomas. Their marriage was perceived as a peace offering between the Indians and Jamestown. Pocahontas met with many royals and spoke of bringing peace between the two groups. They stayed for a total of seven months before deciding to return home to Virginia. It was during their trip home that she became deathly ill and passed away at the age of 22. She was buried in Gravesend, England in a churchyard.
Pocahontas has become famous for her work toward peace and unity, and her story has been told throughout history in many fairytale books and depicted in a movie by Disney. She is also a popular figure chosen for Halloween costumes by both little girls and women of all ages. To learn more about the life of Pocahontas, also known as Matoaka, visit the sites below:
- Pocahontas: A historic depiction of Pocahontas as a part of Jamestown’s history.
- The only life portrait of Pocahontas: A resource showing the rare and only portrait of the Indian Princess along with a detailed time line of known dates and happenings in her life.
- The Pocahontas Myth: A brief article about the misrepresentation of Pocahontas and how she became known as Rebecca Rolfe in various film productions.
- Pocahontas, From Fiction to Fact: An educational resource for children designed to use the Disney movie about Pocahontas to help children learn real world history.
- Pocahontas' Time line: A time line showing the events Pocahontas endured and is known for.
Article written by Janice D. McDonald