Will the real Pocahontas please stand up?

Will the real Pocahontas please

stand up?

1595?- 1617

Images of Pocahontas throughout history…

Portrait

Portrait

MoviesAdvertisements

Story books & statues

The most recent

images of Pocahonta

s

Disney’s Version

Halloween CostumeFrom the film,

New World

Pocahontas was the daughter

of Powhatan, the chief

of an Algonkian confederac

y 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 churchyar

d in Gravesen

d, 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 Smith2. Native relations with English colonists3. Relationship with John Smith4. Experiences in England5. Appearance

• Significance to history – (your opinion –every group)