Over the course of a few years, the settlers gained control of both the mouth and the falls of the James River in an attempt to expand their settlement. Beginning in the summer of 1609, this conflict between Jamestown settlers and local tribes spanned several years. In 1613, Pocahontas was captured by English settlers during the First Anglo-Powhatan War. Unfortunately, as the colonists expanded Jamestown, conflicts arose with the local tribes over the threat of losing their lands. She brought food to the colony every few days, preventing the deaths of several colonists. In fact, her friendship saved the lives of several settlers during times of starvation. Accounts of her befriending colonists and playing with the children of the settlement exist and are believed to be true. Without strong evidence one way or the other, the truth of their first meeting remains uncertain.įacts do support the relationship between Pocahontas and the settlement at Jamestown.
Instead they describe a feast served by the tribes and a discussion with Indian leaders curious about the English settlers. Original accounts of the event do not refer to Pocahontas. In this story, her intervention saved his life and convinced Chief Powhatan to return John Smith to Jamestown.
The traditional story of his rescue by Pocahontas includes a description of how her father was poised to have him killed by clubs only to be stopped by Pocahontas risking her own life to save him. Early descriptions of his capture do not refer to her, but later letters written to Queen Anne include her in the narrative. In this letter, he refers to a young Indian girl saving his life after he was captured by Opechancanough, a warrior believed to be related to Pocahontas. Pocahontas first appears in settler accounts in a letter from Captain John Smith who wrote of meeting her in 1608 as a ten-year-old girl. Accounts of her early life indicate she was a favorite of her father’s, yet she was not in line to inherit her father’s position in the hierarchy of the tribes. While referred to as a princess, Pocahontas was not royalty in the truest sense of the word. Pocahontas translates to “little wanton” and was likely a childhood nickname reflecting her nature. The secret name first granted to Pocahontas was Matoaka, later followed by Amonute. Most Algonquian-speaking tribes granted multiple personal names which could change throughout life and be used at different times depending on context. Pocahontas remained with her father’s tribe and likely had a typical Native American childhood. Following tradition, after the birth of Pocahontas, her mother returned to her tribe until she could later marry another. Her mother was a member of one of the tribes sent to Chief Powhatan as a wife. Pocahontas was the daughter of Chief Powhatan, leader of Tsenacommacah, which was a loose alliance of numerous tribes living in the Virginia Tidewater region. While much of the legend surrounding her life may have been romanticized, factual evidence proves Pocahontas had significant influence on early relationships and how the English perceived Native Americans. Her interactions with English settlers set the stage for early relationships between the tribes living along the Virginia coast and the English settlers arriving in the area. One of the most prevalent stories involves the young woman known as Pocahontas. Early American history includes many notable stories about Native Americans and their interactions with settlers.