Pocahontas

Pocahontas

Do you know who Matoaka is? I didn't think you did. Matoaka was the Native North American woman everyone knew as Pocahontas. Pocahontas meant "playful one". All of the English settlers who were grateful of all her good deeds called Pocahontas the Indian "princess." Pocahontas was the daughter of Chief Powhatan and visited the English in Virginia at Jamestown. Pocahontas is famous for the story of how she saved the life of the captured Captain John Smith just as his head was about to be smashed in by her father's orders.

In 1608 fighting broke out between the Pohwatan Indians and the white settlers. The fighting kept on happening and then in 1613 Pocahontas was captured by Captain Samuel Argall, taken to Jamestown and held captive in one of their many ships. She converted to Christianity and was baptized as Rebecca. During this time she met a successful tobacco planter named John Rolfe. Pocahontas and Rolfe fell in love and with permission from Chief Powhatan and the governor married in 1614. Pocahontas and Rolfe had a son by the name of Thomas Rolfe, who ended up being educated in England. Their union brought peace to the Native Americans for around eight years.

Pocahontas then went with Rolfe in 1616 to London where they both tried very hard to raise money for the colonists who were having a hard time. She was received in London as a "princess" and was presented to the king and queen. While she was there she also got to meet up with her old friend, Captain John Smith, whom she had not seen in eight years and whom she believed was dead.

After seven months Rolfe decided to return to his family in Virginia. In March 1617 the set sail. It was soon obvious that Pocahontas would not survive the journey back to Virginia. She was deathly ill from pneumonia or possibly tuberculosis. After being taken ashore,