Pocahontas & John Rolfe
A marriage between two colliding worlds
Matoaka, "Pocahontas," daughter of the Powhatan chief, captured by the colonists and married to the tobacco planter John Rolfe; taken to England as a symbol, she died there at 21 without returning home.
01Why it matters
Their story, far more tragic than the Disney myth, marks the first contact between England and the Indigenous peoples of North America.
02The conflict
Capture, colonization and cultural uprooting.
03The iconic moment
Pocahontas presented at the court of James I as a "princess."
04What survived
Her 1616 engraved portrait; her grave in Gravesend, England.
05Frequently asked questions
Why is the story of Pocahontas & John Rolfe famous?
Their story, far more tragic than the Disney myth, marks the first contact between England and the Indigenous peoples of North America.
How does the story of Pocahontas & John Rolfe end?
Pocahontas presented at the court of James I as a "princess." Her 1616 engraved portrait; her grave in Gravesend, England.
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