Pocahontas

Forging Peace in the New World

World Map of Columbus, 1492

Age of Exploration

• Christopher Columbus – “New World” 1492

• Englishman John Cabot – Newfoundland, 1497

• European countries searched for the NW Passage

• Spain was the most powerful nation in the 1500s

• English exploration increased/intensified during the reign of Queen Elizabeth

• Queen Elizabeth encouraged English “sea dogs” to raid Spanish settlements

• Englishman Sir Walter Raleigh – Roanoake 1584– Name the area Virginia after

Queen Elizabeth (The Virgin Queen)

• English defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 led to increase of Enland’s exploration

• Joint stock company – company where individuals bought stock in a company, which paid for ships and supplies, hoping to make a profit from their investment– Virginia Company of London

• John Smith – Jamestown 1607

World Map 1660

Pocahontas• Born in 1595• Member of the

Algonquian• Daughter of Powhatan,

chief of 30 tribes in VA• Given Name: Matoaka

Believed if outsiders learned of the tribal

name, harm would come to a person and to speak

one's real name aloud was like opening a door

to evil spirits

• Called Name: Pocahontas • "one who plays mostly,"

"playful one," "little wanton," and "playful, frolicsome little girl."

Captain John Smith

• December of 1607 had been sentenced to death by Powhatan

• Became good friends with Pocahontas

• She visited the village of Jamestown often with baskets of food for her friends

• She took braves from the tribe so they could trade food and furs

• Her father was not pleased with his daughter for her association with the white man.

• January of 1609, Pocahontas again saved John Smith's life and the lives of her friends in Jamestown when she warned them of her fathers plans to kill them.

Relationship with the White Man

• Pocahontas went to live in a neighboring village with a man named Japazaws and his wife

• They sold her for a copper kettle and she was held as a political prisoner in Jamestown

• She was treated very well while she was there and she even lived in the house of a minister

• Pocahontas was taught Christianity.

• During this time she met and was instructed by a man named John Rolfe

• April 1614, she was baptized an Anglican and given the name of Rebecca

John Rolfe

• April 1614 she married John Rolfe.

• Many of her relatives and friends from the tribe attended the wedding, but her father did not come.

• The marriage of Pocahontas and John Rolfe began a period of peace among the Powhatan Indians and the people of Jamestown.

• This period of peace became known as the "Peace of Pocahontas"

• A year later a son was born to Pocahontas and John Rolfe. They named him Thomas.

Visit to England• Thomas was a year old when John decided to take his

family to England. • Pocahontas was received well and treated like royalty. • She was invited to the palace of the Queen of England.

Pocahontas was happy and did not want to leave. • Many of her people that were there with her became

very ill because they were not used to the climate and the diseases in England.

• Pocahontas also became ill and it was decided that they would all return to Virginia.

• They set sail in 1617 but Pocahontas was not well and Pocahontas died in Gravesend, England at age 21.

• Her death marked the end of the Peace of Pocahontas.

Turn-2-Think

• Groups of three• Take turns drawing a question card from the

stack• Discuss an answer in your group• Match the correct answer card to each

question card

Analyze the Movies

Similarities• Setting: Jamestown, VA• Date: May 1607• Trade of goods/ideas

between English settlers & Indians

• “Peace of Pocahontas”• Pocahontas’ travel to

England

Differences• Age: 10/12 or 18/20• Indian princess or Barbie

doll?• Love affair with John

Smith• Language• Smallpox death• Son, Thomas?• Unhappiness in England

Assignment

• Pretend that you are an historian who is an expert in the colonial era of the United States. Write a critique of the films “Pocahontas” and “Pocahontas: A New World”. Be sure to use evidence from the movie and history to make your points.