What Really Happened (Part 2) : Pocahontas, John Smith, and Jamestown
Since the days before America was even a country, the Native Americans have been a huge part of this nation’s story. One of the most infamous tales is that of Pocahontas and her people’s interaction with the settlers of Jamestown. Many of the details surrounding this time period have become lost to history or have been told in so many different ways that people don’t have any idea what the truth may be. In the case of Pocahontas this is particularly true due to things like Disney’s 1995 film that essentially disregarded most of the historical context surrounding the events in Jamestown in 1607. This particular settlement and many of the events surrounding it are fundamental to the eventual creation of the country we know today, so knowing at least a bit of the truth is important. Let’s start with taking a look at the princess Pocahontas herself.
Pocahontas: Born sometime in 1596 , Pocahontas was the daughter of the chief of the Algonquian tribes of the tidewater region of Virginia, who they referred to as Powhatan. One of the first things that they don’t usually mention, is that she was a technically a princess in her own right, and that Pocahontas was not her only name. She was actually born Matoaka, and later went by Amonute. Pocahontas was actually her mother’s name, and following her mother’s death, her father often used the name as a term of endearment for his favorite daughter. One of the most famous stories about Pocahontas is the day that she saved the life of settler, John Smith. Legend (and Disney) say that John Smith had been captured by the tribe, and Powhatan had sentenced him to die. On the day that his sentence was to be carried out, Pocahontas throws herself over him in a dramatic fashion, and claims that if her father kills John, he would have to kill her too. Of course this then results in the chief changing his mind and everyone lives to see another day. That is a pretty nice story and all, but in all seriousness, historians across the board agree that the likelihood of that actually happening is basically slim to none. There is basically no historical evidence to support there being a reason for Powhatan to want to kill Smith in the first place, but even if he did, there is no way his daughter would have been allowed at the ceremony because of her age. This brings me to one more fact about the princess, is that she was not a teenager or young woman at the time she met John Smith. Though the actual date of her birth is unknown, according to Smith himself, she was a child about the age of 9 or 10 at the time he first met her. Because she was a child, there is no way that any sort of romantic relationship would have been going on. Though there are more inaccuracies surrounding the interactions between these two, we are now going to take a closer look at John Smith, and see more of who this man really is.
John Smith: This man has a lot of accomplishments and titles to his name, including soldier, explorer, admiral, and even had a Native American title of werowance, which loosely translated means ‘ leader of the colonists’ . With these many acknowledgements associated with him, it is clear that in both British and American history, Smith is often hailed as the white knight type of character, but it seems that is not exactly the case. Come to find out, Mr. Smith had a habit of stealing, extorting, being captured, and being sentenced to death. He is most often linked to one of the earliest American settlements at Jamestown and the growth that happened there. It was while he was in Jamestown that he first had interactions with Pocahontas and her people, which weren’t always as wonderful as they want you to believe. Initially his relationship with the Powhatan Confederacy began with him being captured by the tribe, but for whatever reason the chief began to take a liking to him. Pocahontas’ father went so far to name him the ‘ leader of the colonists’, therefore essentially making him the contact person between the tribe and the colonist. This arrangement seemed to work okay for a little while, but by 1608 communications between them had broken down completely, and that was mostly due to the actions of John Smith. Those actions included looting and extorting supplies and food from other native tribes that made their home around Jamestown. There are even reports of attacks involving guns and burning of some villages that did not give him what he was seeking. In addition to his ultimately poor treatment of Pocahontas and her people, turns out the settlers were not exactly fans of his either. There are accounts accusing him of things such as mutiny, and even of participating in the over throwing of the colony president at the time, Edward Wingfield. History books and especially the Disney production of Pocahontas in particular wants you to believe that John Smith is some historical hero to be admired, but there appears to be much evidence that contradict this perceived moral character.
Jamestown: Jamestown, Virginia is significant in its own right, almost despite leadership from men like John Smith. As the first permanent settlement by the British on what would later become American soil, this establishment of European presence is very important to our country’s history. This group of people managed to come to a land that was completely foreign to them, and were able to make a stand, despite all of the odds that were not in their favor. Everything from potentially hostile natives, to famine, extreme weather, illness, and unstable leadership were problems these people had to face. John Smith played a significant role in the ability of this settlement to survive, by doing what was necessary to preserve the longevity of his fellow settlers. There were efforts to build housing, grow food, and attempts to establish different industries including a glass factory, that allowed the people to get a foothold in the area. Sounds like your typical New World settlement story, but the main problem I have with this is the part of the narrative that they often leave out or gloss over; that this land was not theirs to take in the first place. The Native Americans ( specifically the Powhatan Confederacy) were already there. When the white settlers first arrived, communications with the native people actually went fairly smoothly. There was open trade and bartering between them, and things were actually quite friendly. Unfortunately this open line of communication began to disintegrate when John Smith and others began to abuse their friendships with the local tribes, committing all sorts of atrocities. Yet, despite these conflicts and challenges, Jamestown survived and helped to lead the way to the birth of a new nation.
When it comes to the relationship between Pocahontas and John Smith, the truth is often obscured by the myth and legends that have come to surround it. There are things that can be up for debate, such as the full extent of Smith’s relationship with Pocahontas, but there are things that also cannot be denied. For example, it is undeniable that the relationship between Powhatan and Smith initially started off great, before declining. On the opposite side of the argument, it has essentially been debunked that Pocahontas herself ever saved John’s life. The simple fact is that the full truth may never be known, but it is clear that the story of Pocahontas and John Smith may not be all that you have heard it to be.
