Pocahontas Historical Figures

Ashleigh Cox
Keith Fagan
World History
18 December 2014

Pocahontas: A Native American Figure Throughout history there have been many great historical figures. A historical figure is someone who will forever be remembered for their great achievements or bravery. Many historical figures have faced many obstacles which they have had to overcome. One such figure was Pocahontas. She was a Native American woman who lived an extraordinary life. Pocahontas, the Native American princess, experienced many things in her short life, but those experiences helped her become a major figure in history. Pocahontas’s estimated birth was sometimes around 1596. Her homeland was called Tsenacomoco (Greene 46). When Pocahontas was born, she was given
These visits were usually accompanied by Pocahontas because she had become friends with Smith. She was seen as a sign of peace to the English and they knew she was the favorite daughter of the great Powhatan. Pocahontas was seen as a very important person and was used as a mediator on several occasions. On one such occasion, she was sent to negotiate the release of Powhatan prisoners. Smith indicated if it hadn’t been for Pocahontas, the prisoners would not have been released. As time passed, however, relations between the Powhatan Indians and the English began to deteriorate. In late 1609, Smith returned to England for medical treatment of a wound. The colonists told the Indians that Smith had died. Chief Powhatan moved his tribe further up the river so it was difficult for Pocahontas to continue visiting the colonists. Pocahontas married an Indian warrior called Kocoum; however, not much is known about this marriage.
She was tricked into boarding a ship where she has held as ransom for English prisoners held by Chief Powhatan and also for the return of guns stolen by the Indians (Green 33). The English leader sent a message to Powhatan saying that he had to give the Englishmen back their weapons and set them free or he would never see his daughter again. Powhatan sent the Englishmen but not their weapons. So the English kept Pocahontas. Thereafter, Pocahontas lived among the English. She was taken up the James River to Henricus to be taught English customs and religion by the Reverend Alexander Whitaker. There she met John Rolfe, a widower who had arrived in Virginia in 1610 and who introduced tobacco as a cash crop in the colony. Rolfe fell in love with her and wrote a letter to Sir Thomas Dale justifying his feelings for her (Stebbins). In 1614, she was baptized with the Christian name Rebecca and married John Rolfe. They lived on Rolfe’s farm for two year. (Adams 9). The following year on January 30, 1615, Pocahontas gave birth to Thomas Rolfe. The marriage created a period of peace between the colonists and the Chief Powhatan