Pocahontas

This article is about the historical person. For the Disney film, see Pocahontas (1995 film). For the Disney character, see Pocahontas (character). For other uses, see Pocahontas (disambiguation).

"Matoaka", "Princess Matoika", and "Rebecca Rolfe" redirect here. For the American towns, see Matoaca, Virginia and Matoaka, West Virginia. For the transport ship, see USS Princess Matoika. For the Irish cricketer, see Rebecca Rolfe (cricketer).

Pocahontas
Pocahontas depicted in a 1616 portrait engraving by Simon de Passe
Born
Amonute

c. 1596[1]
Werowocomoco, Tsenacommacah
(near present-day Gloucester Courthouse, Virginia, U.S.)
DiedMarch 1617 (aged 20–21)
Gravesend, Kent, England
Resting placeSt George's Church, Gravesend in Gravesham, England
Other namesMatoaka, Rebecca Rolfe
Known forAssociation with Jamestown colony, inclusion in writings by John Smith, and as a Powhatan convert to Christianity
TitlePrincess Matoaka
Spouse
​
(m. 1614)​
ChildrenThomas Rolfe
ParentWahunsenacawh/Chief Powhatan (father)

Pocahontas (US: /ˌpoʊkəˈhɒntəs/ ⓘ, UK: /ˌpɒk-/; born Amonute,[1] also known as Matoaka and Rebecca Rolfe; c. 1596 – March 1617) was a Native American woman belonging to the Powhatan people, notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. She was the daughter of Powhatan, the paramount chief[2] of a network of tributary tribes in the Tsenacommacah, encompassing the Tidewater region of what is today the U.S. state of Virginia.

Pocahontas was captured and held for ransom by English colonists during hostilities in 1613. During her captivity, she was encouraged to convert to Christianity and was baptized under the name Rebecca. She married the tobacco planter John Rolfe in April 1614 at the age of about 17 or 18, and she bore their son, Thomas Rolfe, in January 1615.[1]

In 1616, the Rolfes travelled to London, where Pocahontas was presented to English society as an example of the "civilized savage" in hopes of stimulating investment in Jamestown. On this trip she may have met Squanto, a Patuxet man from New England.[3] Pocahontas became a celebrity, was elegantly fêted, and attended a masque at Whitehall Palace. In 1617, the Rolfes intended to sail for Virginia, but Pocahontas died at Gravesend, Kent, England, of unknown causes, aged 20 or 21. She was buried in St George's Church, Gravesend; her grave's exact location is unknown because the church was rebuilt after being destroyed by a fire.[1]

Numerous places, landmarks, and products in the United States have been named after Pocahontas. Her story has been romanticized over the years, many aspects of which are fictional. Many of the stories told about her by the English explorer John Smith have been contested by her documented descendants.[4] She is a subject of art, literature, and film. Many famous people have claimed to be among her descendants, including members of the First Families of Virginia, First Lady Edith Wilson, American actor Glenn Strange, and astronomer Percival Lowell.[5]

  1. ^ a b c d Stebbins, Sarah J (August 2010). "Pocahontas: Her Life and Legend". National Park Service. U.S. Department of the Interior. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  2. ^ "A Guide to Writing about Virginia Indians and Virginia Indian History" (PDF). Commonwealth of Virginia, Virginia Council on Indians. January 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 24, 2012. Retrieved July 19, 2012.
  3. ^ Rose, E.M. (2020). "Did Squanto meet Pocahontas, and What Might they have Discussed?". The Junto. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  4. ^ Price, pp. 243–244
  5. ^ Shapiro, Laurie Gwen (June 22, 2014). "Pocahontas: Fantasy and Reality". Slate. The Slate Group. Retrieved April 7, 2015.