The real life story of Pocahontas

A lot of people know that the famous Disney movie Pocahontas is based on a real person. But the real life story of Pocahontas is not at all the fairy tale as we know it, and I would argue that it could make an even better script for a movie.

Jamestown

In 1607 settlers arrived in Virginia and established the Jamestown colony. Over the months they had multiple encounters with the Tsenacommacah tribe, both friendly and hostile. In December of that year, Captain John Smith was captured and taken to Powhatan, the chief of the tribe. According to Smith his notes, they had a large feast where he had a long talk with the chief and he was offered control over the small town of Capahosic. Later he would expand the story and mention that the daughter of the Chief, Pocahontas, saved his life at the last minute by throwing herself across his body and laying her head on his head at the execution.

There is still uncertainty if Smith made up the details to make the story more interesting, some even suggest that Smith was never in real danger, but was part in a ritual to make him a friend of the clan.

Pocahontas

Pocahontas, born as Matoaka and later receiving another name Amonute, was around 10 years when all this happened. Even though she was born as a daughter of the chief, her childhood probably resembled that of the other girls around her age in Tsenacommacah and she got educated in what was considered women's work: gathering plant materials, food foraging, farming,...

In 1609 the relationship between the Jamestown settlers and the Native Americans turned sour. In 1613 Pocahontas was captured and held hostage by Captain Samuel Argall. While Pocahontas was held captive, she improved her English and learned about Christianity. She was baptized and took on a new name "Rebecca". In an attempt to broker peace, Powhatan agreed with his daughter marrying John Rolfe, a leading tobacco planter and one of Pocahontas her teachers in Jamestown. Contrary to what you might think, it was a consensual relationship and Pocahontas wanted to stay with Rolfe. In the years that followed there was peace between Jamestown and the Native Americans, better known as the "Peace of Pocahontas".

London

To promote investments in the settlements in the Americas, Rolfe and Pocahontas were brought to London. She was treated well in England and was presented as a ruler of an empire, even though in her culture she was not regarded as having that much power. In 1617 she met John Smith again at a social gathering, but Pocahontas was angry for his betrayal against her father.

In 1617 when the couple wanted to return to Victoria with a boat, Pocahontas became severely ill and died. The cause of death is still not certain, maybe it was smallpox, tuberculosis or some historians even suggest she was poisoned by one of her enemies. She was only 21 years old when she died, but sadly without the happy movie ending.