![]() Most likely, Thomas was a consequence of rape and not Rolfe’s biological son. Pocahontas gave birth to a son, Thomas Rolfe. Unfortunately for the Powhatan, the greedy settlers stole even more land to grow tobacco. The new tobacco from his plantation became a sensation in England and made settlers rich. Rolfe married Pocahontas to extract this information from the Powhatans. They forbade the sharing of the secrets of tobacco cultivation with outsiders. Pocahontas’s tribe, the Powhatans, considered tobacco a sacred plant. John Rolfe was trying to cultivate tobacco on his plantation, but he miserably failed. A plantation owner married Pocahontas to get the secret of tobacco cultivation Soon afterward, the settlers killed Pocahontas’ husband.ĭuring her captivity, they repeatedly raped her, which made her depressed and secluded. Pocahontas had to give away her baby before going on the ship. By doing so he aimed to stop the attacks of Natives on the settlers.Īrgall threatened to destroy her village if she didn’t willingly board his ship. Pocahontas was abducted and raped by colonistsĬaptain Samuel Argall came to the Powhatan village to kidnap Pocahontas. She was too young and girls were not allowed to take part in Powhatan politics. Even if Pocahontas’s father wanted to kill Smith, Pocahontas couldn’t have saved him. Pocahontas’s father was the chieftain of the Powhatan tribe and he wanted Smith to be his ally. Pocahontas married a fellow tribesman Kocoum and they had a baby daughter Ka-Okee. They were never lovers and they never married. Although it sounds very romantic, this part is simply not true.Īt the time of Smith’s visit to the Natives, Pocahontas was ten years old and Smith was twenty-seven. ![]() The legend of Pocahontas states that she saved the life of Captain John Smith and later fell in love with him. Pocahontas and John Smith were never in love and she never saved Smith’s life Let’s have a look at other myths about Pocahontas settlers invented. Also, she was not a princess, the Natives didn’t have any royals. The story helped them to justify the European exploitation of the American Natives.įirst of all, her proper name was Matoaka and Pocahontas was a nickname, meaning ‘playful one’. The settlers adapted the story of Pocahontas to symbolize white supremacy and patriarchy. The reality, as it is often the case, was much more different. Also, she falls in love with settler John Smith and converts to Christianity. Native American princess Pocahontas risks her own life and helps the English settlers. We all think we know Pocahontas (1596 -1617), but her actual story differs greatly from the romanticized narrative we have come to recognize. The idealized version of Pocahontas saving the life of John Smith (Image: Wikimedia Commons)
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