Marissa.Lawrence

Marissa Lawrence 84 **__ Pocahontas __** Who was Pocahontas? Some people might say she was just a mystery. Others might say that all she is, is a fictional character in a popular Disney movie. Is any of this true? Yes and no. There are many unknown thins about her life, but there are also many things we know she did, or didn’t do in her life. Of course she wasn’t just a fiction character in a movie, she was a real woman who lived from 1595-1617. You can learn more about her if you continue reading the biography I wrote on her. Pocahontas was said to be intelligent and beautiful. Her real name was Matoaka, meaning playful one. She was the daughter of a Native American chief, Powhatan. Her nationality was American but her ethnicity was Native American. She was born in Werowocoma in 1595. She liked in Jamestown, Virginia, at the time of its colonization with the British. In 1607, English colonists were sent by the Virginia Company and they claimed they founded Jamestown. When she was only 13 years old, in 1608,she saved the life of captain John Smith. He had been captured by Powhatan’s warriors, and was taken to her village, which was only fifteen miles away from Jamestown. He was going to be clubbed to death if Pocahontas didn’t save him. He was about to be killed in front of a stone alter. Then she threw her body in front of him and he was saved. Captain John Smith was captured in the first place because the Native Americans and colonists had a bad relationship in Virginia. Captain John Smith wasn’t the only colonist she was nice to. She persuaded her father to bring food to starving colonists he had captured. In 1613, Pocahontas was visiting the village of the Potomac Native Americans, when she got captured by captain Samuel Argall, captain of the vessel treasurer, and was taken as a prisoner. Also, he took some of the Native Americans tools and supplies. Then, she was taken back to Jamestown as hostage. She was treated respectfully by governor Tomas Dale. Pocahontas befriended Tomas Dale. He liked her gentility and intelligence. Tomas Dale encouraged her to join Christian religion. She did, and was baptized. When switching to Christianity, Pocahontas took the name of Rebecca. Then, she met colonist John Rolfe, and they fell in love. He was a tobacco planter. John Rolfe asked Tomas Dale for permission to marry Pocahontas instead of her father. He agreed and thought it would win the friendship of the Native Americans. Pocahontas agreed in marring John Rolfe too, so now they were engaged. Before this Pocahontas was married to a Native American Chief named Kocoum. She got married to him in 1610 when she was 15 and he was 20. He was a patawomeke warrior. Being married before didn’t matter to her, because her husband was married to a woman before Pocahontas too. Her name was Sarah Hacker Rolfe. They had one child named Bermuda Rolfe. He also had a wife after Pocahontas. Her name was Jane Pierce. They had one child named Elizabeth Rolfe. In June 1614, Pocahontas got married to John Rolfe in Jamestown. They got married in Anglican Church. The Native Americans and colonists liked the band between them, so that started an eight year peace period between them. In 1615, John and Pocahontas had a baby boy that they named Tomas. He was named after Tomas Dale. In 1616, Virginia Company wanted her to visit England. Because of this, John Rolfe, her brother in law Tamocomo, herself, their son Tomas, and as many Native American girls that they could fit on their boat, sailed off to England. In England everyone treated her like a princess. She became very famous in England. In 1617, she was planning to go back to Virginia. Right when she was about to get back, she caught the disease small pox. Small pox was not easily treatable in 1617, so she died. Pocahontas was only 22 when she died. Even though she didn’t live a very long life, she accomplished many things on her short life. On March 21, 1617, Pocahontas was dead. She died in Gravesland, England. She was buried in the channel of Gravesland Church. Her only child, Tomas Rolfe, was educated in England. Then, he returned to Virginia to leave many decedents bearing the name Rolfe.  I hope you had a great time learning about Pocahontas, Montoaka, or even Rebecca Rolfe. Whatever you like to call her I hope you learned a lot about her. Now, I hope, you know Pocahontas wasn’t just a fictional character in a movie. Now you know that some of the information in the movie was true, but not all of it. The reason I chose Pocahontas was because I knew nothing about her. The first question I asked you is the question I asked myself when I saw her name. I was curious about what she did and accomplished. Who was Pocahontas? Now I have found information to answer that question and now you can answer it too. That is why I chose to do my biography on Pocahontas.

Author: Jacobson, Daniel Title of Article: Pocahontas Title of Encyclopedia: Grolier Year of Publication: 2009 Publishing Company: Grolier Online
 * __ Bibliography __**

Title of Article: Pocahontas Place of Publication: Farming Hills, Michigan Publishing Company: Gale Year of Publication: 1998

Author: Marfé Delano Title of Book: American Heroes Place of Publication: Washington D.C Publishing Company: National Geographic Year of Publication: 2005

Author: Bernard W. Sheehan Title of Article: Pocahontas Title of Encyclopedia: Encyclopedia American Place of Publication: Danbury, CT Publishing Company: Grolier Inc. Year of Publication: 1998