Pocahontas

                                                                                    Written by Soo Yong Kim

   Matoaka was born in Jamestown, Virginia in 1595. Later her name was changed to ‘Pocahontas’. She was a native American Indian girl whose father was the chief of Algonquin tribe called Powhatan. English colonists came here by three ships to colonize the American Indians in Jamestown, Virginia. English settlers arrived from the Virginia Company from England in 1607. One hundred people came to the new world. Colonists had a hard time in the new land. They did not know how to grow crops. Half of the settlers starved to death including children. American Indians were afraid of the new white people at first. The native American Indians gave some food to the settlers and let them know how to grow crops. Gradually, they came to know each other little by little and made friendships. The two peoples had their own boundaries. No trespassing was allowed between them.

   Pocahontas was very friendly, amiable and active. She didn’t confine herself and she was very playful. One day, an English soldier whose name was John Smith trespassed over the boundary and strolled into the native American Indian land. She found that an English man was captured and her people threatened to kill him. The Indians were ready to beat him to death. All of a sudden, Pocahontas rushed to the Englishman and threw herself over him to protect him from the clubs. She saved his life. She intervened between them not to kill him. She was a frequent visitor to Jamestown. She delivered messages between her tribe and the colonists. She would also accompany the Indian men as they came to Jamestown with furs and food to trade for tools and trinkets. Not only was she loved by her tribe, but the colonists at Jamestown said she was beautiful and intelligent.

   Eventually Pocahontas and John Smith fell in love with each other. In 1616, Smith wrote a letter to Queen Anne in anticipation of Pocahontas’s visit to England. He explained that Pocahontas saved his life in his letter about his encounter with Pocahontas as a heroine worthy of reception. Pocahontas saved a lot of English colonists in hunger without any provisions. As the colonists expanded their settlement further, the Powhatan and Pocahontas’s father, felt their lands were threatened, and conflicts arose again.

   In late 1609, an injury from gunpowder forced John Smith to return to England for medical care. When he was aboard a ship, there was a big storm in the sea and the ship was wrecked. The English told the Powhatans that Smith was dead. She was heartbroken. Much later, she learned that he was living in England when she traveled there as the wife of John Rolfe. In the meantime, Pocahontas’s capture occurred during the First Anglo-Powhatan War. The Native Americans stole a lot of guns, tools and captured a lot of English settlers. The colonists negotiated with the Native Americans. They came to the conclusion that they wanted to trade Pocahonta for stolen guns, tools and the captives. On the contrary, the Native Americans returned only the guns and tools, but not English captives. The English settlers didn’t return Pocahontas, because they didn’t keep their promise to return the English captives. A truce had been called, and the Indians still far outnumbered the English, and the colonists feared retaliation.

   During her captivity in Henricus, Jamestown, she was treated with extraordinary courtesy. She met the minister, Alexander Whittaker in Henricus. She could be converted to Christianity through Whittaker and he helped her to improve her English. Upon her baptism, Pocahontas took the Christian name “Rebecca”. During her stay in Henricus, Pocahontas met John Rolfe whose religion was Christianity. He cultivated a new strain of tabacco there. He wanted to marry Pocahontas. With the governor’s approval, he married Pocahontas in April 15, 1614. Their son, Thomas was born on January 30, 1615. They lived for two years on Rolfe’s plantation. With the conversion of Pocahontas and her marriage to an Englishman, the First Anglo-Powhatan War came to an end. The Rolfes traveled to England and journeyed to London by coach. John Smith was living in London at the time while Pocahontas was in England.

   John Smith wrote a letter to Queen Anne, the wife of King James, urging that Pocahontas be treated with respect as a royal visitor. Pocahontas was apparently treated well in London. Finally, Pocahontas told Smith that she and her fellow native Americans had thought him dead.

   In Mach 1617, John Rolfe and Pocahontas boarded a ship to return to Virginia. On the way home, near the river Thames, Pocahontas fell seriously ill. She was stricken with Smallpox and died at the approximate age of 21. Her father, Powhatan, died within a year of Pocahontas’ death. After this, the “Peace of Pocahontas” came to an end. Her funeral took place on March 21, 1617. She was buried in Gravesend. Her grave is underneath the church’s chancel. A life-size bronze statue was made in honor of her memory at St. George’s Church.

   I think that English colonists of Mayflower settled down at Plymouth in Massachusetts with help of native American Indians in 1620. The colonists gave thanks to God and native American Indians for an abundant harvest with the Indians’ help. They treated the Indians with cooked turkey to express their thanks. Thanksgiving Day originated from that day.

   Before their settlement, Pocahontas intervened between the English colonists and Native American Indians as a peacemaker. She played really an important and significant role in American history.

   She was a remarkable woman who was very courageous with a mind for challenges and adventure. She was a peacemaker between two peoples. She is a historic memorable figure in US history.