Pocahontas: Myth vs. Reality

Paper Summary:

The paper explains that, among the many stories, truth or fiction, Smith places Pocahontas on a pedestal by explaining that had it not been for her, the Virginia colony may have perished ?from death, famine and utter confusion". The author points out that all of the praise for Pocahontas, the first Christian ever of the Powhatan nation, and the first Virginian ever to speak English, tends to raise the proverbial bar in relation to the realities of her life; however, the myths seem to endure, as they usually do with famous historical figures. The paper concludes that it is clear that Pocahontas, the daughter of Powhatan and the allegedly first ?savage? to marry an Englishman, is far more real than could ever be imagined and stands today as one of the most influential women in American history.

From the Paper:

"As king of the Indian tribes from the Atlantic seaboard and down through the wilds of Virginia, Powhatan was naturally distressed by the arrival of the English colonists in 1585, and he and his fellow tribesmen were probably instrumental in the extermination of the early colonists, especially those connected with Sir Walter Raleigh whose colony mysteriously disappeared. On April 30th, 1607, a second colony, sent out by the Virginia Company of London, anchored in what is now Chesapeake Bay on the Atlantic seaboard. These fresh colonists, who settled in Jamestown, soon entered into friendly relations with the natives, which spurred additional English colonists to brave the high seas and sail to the New World."

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