What Happened To Pocahontas In Real Life

The enduring story of Disney’s Pocahontas movie naturally raises a lot of questions regarding what happened to the Indigenous chief’s daughter in real life. While Disney may have popularized Pocahontas’ story, the animated film has been criticized in recent years for its inaccurate and romanticized interpretation of the Pocahontas story. There are many differences between Disney’s Pocahontas and the historical story, but some of these differences are more harmful to the public’s perception of Pocahontas than others.

Since all accounts of Pocahontas are written by others, there is little known about her own thoughts and feelings. The romance between John Smith and Pocahontas is not supported by any historical evidence. The daughter of Chief Powhatan was around 11 years old when the English arrived in Jamestown. According to John Smith’s accounts, he was brought in front of Powhatan to be executed, but Pocahontas threw herself in front of him. Whether this event actually happened has been debated for centuries, but Pocahontas still played a key role in keeping the peace between the English settlers and the Powhatan tribe.

The Real Pocahontas Thought John Smith Had Died

After the alleged incident between Pocahontas and John Smith, she was sent on occasion to Jamestown to negotiate the release of Powhatan prisoners. Eventually, Chief Powhatan became weary of the English demand for food and moved his capital further inland. During this time, Pocahontas was not allowed to visit Jamestown. In the fall of 1609, Smith left Virginia due to a severe gunpowder wound. Pocahontas and her father were told Smith died on the way back to England. In Disney’s direct-to-video sequel Pocahontas II: Journey To a New World, Pocahontas also believes that Smith is dead due to a well-crafted lie by Governor Ratcliffe. But like in the animated film, she does see him again in England.

After Pocahontas had been in England with her husband John Rolfe for months, John Smith visited her. According to Smith, she wrote that she was so overwhelmed with emotion that she could not speak. After she gained her composure, she told him the settlers told her he had died, but her father suspected otherwise because “your countryman will lie much.” While in the animated sequel, Pocahontas gets to choose between her two Johns, in reality, Pocahontas didn’t have romantic feelings for Smith.

Pocahontas Was Captured By Jamestown Colonists Before Marrying John Rolfe

While Pocahontas II: Journey To a New World depicts Pocahontas going to England with John Rolfe on her own accord, the truth is much darker. In 1613, Captain Samuel Argall learned that Pocahontas was living with the Patawomeck tribe. Argall believed capturing Pocahontas would give him the leverage he needed to fix the poor relations between the English and the Powhatan. He met with Iopassus, the chief of the town Passapatanzy and brother to the chief of Patawomeck, to help him kidnap Pocahontas.

Pocahontas was tricked onto the English ship by Iopassus and his wife. Once aboard, Argall refused to allow Pocahontas to leave the ship. He declared that she would be held as ransom for the return of weapons and English prisoners. After her capture, she was brought to Jamestown and her father agreed to many of the English demands. In the meantime, Pocahontas was put under the watch of Reverend Alexander Whitaker who lived in Henrico, a small English settlement near present-day Richmond. There, she learned the English language and the country’s religious customs.

Pocahontas Converted To Christianity & Her Name Was Changed

While learning about Christianity, Pocahontas met widower John Rolfe. According to English accounts, the two fell in love and wanted to get married. Her father consented to their marriage and sent an uncle of Pocahontas to represent her people at the wedding. In 1614, Pocahontas converted to Christianity and was baptized “Rebecca.” Shortly after her baptism, Pocahontas and John Rolfe were married.

Their marriage led to the “Peace of Pocahontas,” a break in the conflicts between the English and Powhatan. In 1615, Pocahontas gave birth to a son named Thomas. During this time, the Virginia Company of London thought the story of Pocahontas as a Christian convert would encourage interest in the company. This idea encouraged the Virginia Company, which had also funded the settling of Jamestown, to pay for a trip around England for the Rolfe family.

Pocahontas Spent Time In England

In 1616, the Rolfe family traveled to England with about a dozen Powhatan men and women, including her sister Mattachanna. Once in England, the party traveled the country and stirred up interest in the chief’s daughter who was now going by “Lady Rebecca Rolfe.” This buzz generated the interest of King James I, and he invited Pocahontas to his masque ball. At the ball, Pocahontas sat near King James I and Queen Anne.

Some of what Pocahontas experienced in England is depicted in Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World, including the masque ball. While Pocahontas did not cause a scene as in the animated film, it’s still easy to imagine how uncomfortable Pocahontas must have felt in such a drastically different environment from what she had become accustomed to in her early years. According to the account of Mattachanna, Pocahontas eventually realized she was being used and desired to return home to her father.

Pocahontas Died in 1617 When Sailing Back To Virginia

Unfortunately, Pocahontas never did return home to see her father as she had hoped. In March 1617, the Rolfe family decided to travel back to Virginia. After traveling down the Thames River, Pocahontas fell seriously ill and had to be taken ashore. In the town of Gravesend, Pocahontas died at age 21 from an unspecified illness. Some historians believe she died from an upper respiratory ailment, such as pneumonia. However, other historians argue that she could’ve died from dysentery, smallpox, or tuberculosis. She was buried at St. George’s Church, Gravesend, however, the church was destroyed by a fire in 1727 which makes her exact grave site unknown. In 1958, a life-size bronze statue was made to commemorate Pocahontas and placed in the graveyard of St. George’s Church.

Over 400 years later, the true story of Pocahontas still sparks interest and debate. While Disney’s Pocahontas may be the most well-known adaptation of her life, there’s clearly a number of things that Disney got wrong about the real-life figure. Even so, Disney’s movie succeeded in turning Pocahontas into a household name, further heightening her status as the most celebrated Indigenous American woman of all time.

Source: NPS