The Myth of Pocahontas’ Daughter
A case study in carefully navigating family stories and anecdotal evidence
Numerous families, including my paternal line, claim lineage from Pocahontas, the famous Native American girl who won the hearts of English explorers and Disney aficionados alike. The problem? It’s likely not true.
The genealogical dilemma
Until about 25 years ago, there was only one confirmed child of the woman now known as Pocahontas — an English-born son of the Rolfe family. The claims of many families in the U.S. are anecdotal — though they likely had some connection to the indigenous tribes among their Colonial ancestors, as there’s usually a grain of truth to any oral tradition. However, all things considered, it’s likely that many of them latched on to a famous name as they retold the stories over the generations rather than actually descending from the Powhatans. My grandmother on the other side did the same thing with President Lincoln, who shared a surname with her grandmother.
