Will the real Pocahontas please stand up? 1595?-1617

Images of Pocahontas throughout history… Portrait Movies Advertisements

Story books & statues

The most recent images of Pocahontas Disney’s Version Halloween Costume From the film, New World

Pocahontas was the daughter of Powhatan, the chief of an Algonkian confederacy of Virginia

Powhatan Confederacy

Pocahontas was actually her nickname, which meant “playful one” Her real name was Matoaka

Fighting between her people and the European settlers at Jamestown led to the capture of John Smith

In 1624, John Smith wrote a book, claiming that Pocahontas had saved him from execution while he was held prisoner by her tribe

Today, we know that it was probably not true Historians believe that she was participating in a ceremony and only pretended to save John Smith She was not in love with John Smith… instead she married a man named John Rolfe

In 1614, Pocahontas married tobacco farmer, John Rolfe, to create peace between her people and English

She moved to England, she became a Christian (her name was changed to Rebecca), and she had a child, Thomas Rolfe

She met the King and Queen of England and was treated like royalty

Because she was famous, she had an engraving done. This is the only from life portrait of Pocahontas

She was buried in a churchyard in Gravesend, England. She was 22 years old.

How can inaccurate media portrayals of Pocahontas affect people’s view of American Indians? Quick Write

Group Work Compare and Contrast the film’s version of Pocahontas with reality. Each Group will make a transparency Must use Venn Diagram

Topics 1.Meeting John Smith 2.Native relations with English colonists 3.Relationship with John Smith 4.Experiences in England 5.Appearance Significance to history –(your opinion –every group)