Pocahontas: Relationship Between The Colonists And Indians

Back in 1995, as a 20 year old woman, I was, absolutely, still in love with everything Disney. I was still very much enamored with the romance and fairy tale aspects of all their stories and movies. So when the Walt Disney Company released the animated feature “Pocahontas” in the summer of my 20th year, I had to see it. At the time, I thought I had hit the jackpot with this movie. “An American legend comes to life” is the tagline to get viewers interested in this movie. [1] A heroin, whom was a beautiful Indian and a love story, who could ask for more from a Disney movie, I thought to myself. Now, being ignorant of the true facts about the Indian woman Pocahontas and even about Indian culture and history itself, I took this story more

This book begins by describing all of the many different events that are occurring around the world during the year 1606, such as the opening of the play Macbeth and Galileo Galilei publishing a book of the observations of supernova in the sky. During the same year, in late December, three small ships were anchored in London’s River Thames waiting to depart to a new settlement. The three ships were the Susan Constant, the Godspeed, and the Discovery. The Virginia Company of London organized and financed the voyage to begin the new settlement of Jamestown. The crew is very excited to search for gold, silver, and other riches that have supposedly been found in North America. Their previous knowledge of the Spanish enrichment of gold and silver created a group dominated by money hungry, wealthy gentlemen. Aboard the ships were a great deal of gentlemen, but unfortunately lacked in soldiers and working men. The majority of the men were not accustomed to any type of hard labor, and this caused many problems because the conditions the crew were in clearly called for difficult laborious work. One of the few commoners on board was John Smith, a former soldier who proved to be a key leader to the survival of the colony. Although he was looked down upon by the upper class, he was a hard worker, and also very intelligent and a jack of all trades.

As young children we are often misled to believe that the stories and movies we are exposed to are presumably based on factual history, but are in reality myths, keeping the truthful, important, and fair facts hidden. Amonute is an accurate example of learning the real events that occurred in a person’s life while the typical myth of Pocahontas saved an Englishmen from being killed by her father. In the beginning of the book we are briefly introduced to Pocahontas, the Powhatan people and the English colonists. As the book continues we follow Pocahontas when she is kidnapped, her married life, and her trip to London where she got sick because of foreign illnesses and died. Camilla Townsends “Pocahontas and the Powhatan Dilemma” wants Pocahontas’ true story to unfold because she is worthy of respect for her bravery and sacrifice and because “everyone subverted her life to satisfy their own needs to believe that the Indians loved and admired them” (Townsend, pg. xi). I also believe that the author was trying to argue that even though the Englishmen believed that the Native Americans were uncivilized and lived like savages, that instead they were wise people.

She was the daughter of the Powhatan Indian leader of Werowocomoco, a town close to Jamestown (Smith 66). She was kidnapped by the British and was converted into Christianity (Tremblay 1). They called her a Princess because the British thought her father was the king, because they did not understand her language (Tremblay1). They protested to her father if he would let the British people go, give them their weapons, and corn, they would return Pocahontas back to them. He decided to let the prisoners go, and give them corn but would not give them their weapons. Her father trusted the kidnappers that they would not mistreat her (3). Unable to hand over the weapons, the British kept Pocahontas and started teaching her how to write and how to dress because Powhatan women dressed in hardly nothing on themselves. The British soon changed her name from Pocahontas to Mataoka (Tremblay 1), so she would fit in to the London society. Later some time, she meets John Rolfe while he was in Chesapeake Bay becoming a tobacco grower and merchant (3). Soon after, she converted to Christianity then they got married and had a son (3). They moved to England in 1616, and in 1617, Pocahontas died from a lung ailment while sailing. She was buried at St. George’s Church

It is said that there are many different versions to a story. There is one persons story, then there is an other person’s story, and then, there is the truth. “Our memories change each time they are recalled. What we recall is only a facsimile of things gone by.” Dobrin, Arthur. "Your Memory Isn't What You Think It Is." (online magazine). Psychology Today. July 16, 2013. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/am-i-right/201307/your-memory-isnt-what-you-think-it-is. Every time a story is told, it changes. From Disney movies to books, to what we tell our friends and colleagues. Sometimes the different sides to the story challenge the

The beliefs which made the United States of America the prodigious country it is today, began during it’s early colonization-a time in the life of this great nation which is everlastingly remembered with pride. America 's foundation rested upon the ideals of diversity, innovation, and the ability to exhibit strength in the face of adversity; there are few who have embodied this vision of America more completely than Pocahontas and Benjamin Franklin. Tragic and historical events developed during the lives of Pocahontas and Benjamin Franklin; although their individual situations required very different reactions, both persevered, therefore granting those who came after them the ability to reflect on America’s beginnings with admiration and pride.

John Smith's tales of the Indian princess, Pocahontas, have, over time, encouraged the evolution of a great American myth. According to this myth, which is common knowledge to most Americans, Pocahontas saved Smith from being killed by her father and his warriors and then fell in love with John Smith. Some versions of the myth popular among Americans include the marriage of Smith and Pocahontas. Although no one can be sure of exactly what happened almost four-hundred years ago, most historians agree that the myth is incorrect. Pocahontas did not save John Smith's life from "savages" and never showed any affection for him. The events of her life differ greatly from the myth Americans have created.

In her early life, Matoaka was a Powhatan Indian. She was born around 1595. 12 years later, John Smith arrived on the shore of present day Virginia. He would help create Jamestown. This settlement was very close to the Powhatan tribe. In 1616, John Smith wrote a letter to Queen Anne stating

A quote from the website called (¨Pocahontas Leadership and Legacy¨), it is said that, ¨She had preferred to live with the English and kept her new found faith breaking barriers on religious freedoms.¨ This is a legacy of Pocahontas because her name meant ¨playful one¨ or ¨naughty child¨ and she always wanted adventure and exploration. As said in the website called (¨Pocahontas Leadership and Legacy¨), it says, ¨She, in her efforts broke down walls of religious freedoms, and interracial inequality all while changing the demographic of stereotypes early settlers had on native Americans. Which led to enriching our country financially, ethically, and socially directly affecting the prosperity of our county as we know it.¨ This is a legacy of Pocahontas because she wanted people to stop the fights and arguments to have peace. (¨Encyclopedia Virginia/Pocahontas¨) says, ¨¨In fact, she did not become a celebrity until the 1820s, when southerners sought a colonial heroine to compete with the story of the Pilgrims in Massachusetts and so establish Virginia (more accurately) as the earlier of the two English colonies.¨ This is a legacy because it shows that at one point, people didn't know about Pocahontas and that it took awhile to find out about her. These are some of the legacies of

Pocahontas was born in 1597. In 1607 the natives welcomed English at Jamestown. The settlers say that about 200 armed natives attacked Jamestown on May 26. In early December, John Smith is captured by the Powhatan tribe. In late December, Smith was taken to Chief Powhatan. In 1608 Chief Powhatan released Smith. Smith wrote a book about his captivity. In 1614 John Rolfe and Pocahontas got married. Pocahontas and her family sailed to England in 1616. John Smith claims he wrote a letter to the Queen urging to host Pocahontas. Pocahontas is now known as Lady Rebecca. Pocahontas made a media splash in England. Pocahontas died in 1617. In 1624 Smith wrote a second book.

ich was considered her secret name, and Amonute, which was more public. Her early life was just the start when it came to the impact she had on society. Pocahontas became a prominent figure in the colonization process of the new world due to her civil interactions with English settlers, specifically John Smith and John Rolfe. When most people think of Pocahontas, John Smith comes to mind as well.

[1] Disney’s Pocahontas has understandably received a lot of flak about the historically inaccurate story that is told about the legendary Pocahontas and Captain John Smith. There is a good reason for that. The movie does little that can be construed as historically accurate, yet Disney claims that was never their intent. Disney, in their previous movies, has been attacked for being racist and unsympathetic to racial minorities. Their answer was a movie whose sole purpose, as stated by Disney, was to promote racial tolerance. The question is, then can a movie promote racial tolerance when the issue is built on false history, history that if told accurately would depict the exact opposite?

I believe that Pocahontas felt empowered and embraced her role as Englishman wife. During the early stages of her life, I like to think that she might have felt forced into the culture she was a slave of, she was ultimately captured and imprisoned by the English. It wasn’t until some time later when she met John Rolfe, and slowly began to fall in love with him, while starting to adopt the English Christian culture. In 1616 she and her husband sailed back to England with their child, there she was given the name Lady Rebecca (her Christian name) that was sanctioned in the English court. It wasn’t only a year later that Lady Rebecca (Pocahontas) fell ill with European diseases and smallpox later to be pronounced dead. Pocahontas did not have

Disney released the classic film “Pocahontas” on June 23, 1995 about a young girl who is a member of the Algonquin tribe with her father being the Chief. The movie takes place near Jamestown in the early 1600’s. Pocahontas father, has arranged for her to marry a man,Kocoum, who is thought to be the greatest warrior in the village. Pocahontas, was not too thrilled about the idea and felt like there was something better awaiting her. Meanwhile, Captain John Smith along with Governor Ratcliffe and other English soldiers and sailors are aboard a ship in hopes of finding riches from the New World to bring to their home to England.

First, the name “Pocahontas” is a nickname, which is close to “spoiled child.” Her real name was Matoaka and she was the daughter of the chief Powhatan. Second, she married John Rolfe and returned with him to England. Moreover, there is doubt whether this marriage is based on Love or not. Because Pocahontas was kidnapped and