It turns out that the fate of Princess Matoaka (that was the name of Pocahontas) was far from the plot of the Disney cartoon that we all watched as children.
Not everyone knows that Pocahontas, the heroine of Disney cartoons, actually existed. True, her life was not like the one shown by Walt Disney...
"Little Mischief"
Pocahontas is the nickname of the Indian princess Matoaka, which was given by her father, the leader of the Powhatan Indian tribe. It translates as “little naughty girl” and gives every chance to call our heroine a far from modest, quiet girl. Surely, as shown in films and cartoons, Pocahontas was very active, and perhaps she often ran away from home and did not listen to her elders.
It is noteworthy that the exact time of her birth is unknown. Historians lean towards 1595 or 1596. But it has been established that Pocahontas was born in the state of Virginia, in the USA.
Q'Orianka Kilcher as Pocahontas in the 2005 film The New World
Was there a boy?
In fairy tales, Pocahontas's first love is the English explorer John Smith, who arrived in her native land. Also in the story, she saves him from captivity: when the Indians were about to cut off his head, the princess shielded him with herself.
It should be noted that the explorer John Smith really existed. And he came to the land of Pocahontas and was captured by the Indians, and Pocahontas saved him. However, nothing is known about the romantic relationship between the Englishman and the Indian princess. Moreover, researchers believe that this may be nothing more than a beautiful fiction. And there are two reasons for this: firstly, at the time of the meeting with 27-year-old Smith, Pocahontas was only 11 or 12, and secondly, John himself never spoke in his publications about a connection with the leader’s daughter.
It is quite possible that Pocahontas and John Smith communicated. And it was he who taught her English, talking about the culture and traditions of his country. How else can one explain the fact that the princess understood foreigners and even participated in negotiations between the British and Indians.
This is what Pocahontas looks like in the 1995 cartoon
Photo: frame from the cartoon “Pocahontas”
The leader's betrayal
Pocahontas and John Smith's friendship ended after he decided to return to England, wounded. Almost at the same time, the peace between the Indians and the British who arrived on their territory ceased to exist. And after some time, the Indian leader had to give up his daughter Pocahontas in exchange for weapons and people from his tribe who were captured.
Whether the princess liked this exchange is anyone's guess. There is a possibility that she could perceive her sale as a betrayal, and one can assume that she was glad to live with the British, because she not only got along well with them, but also enjoyed authority. At least many strangers dreamed of marrying her.
Rebecca's love or calculation
It is difficult to imagine how many marriage proposals Pocahontas received, but, according to factual information, she became the legal wife of planter John Rolfe and gave birth to his son Thomas. Moreover, to get married, the Indian princess converted to Christianity with the name Rebecca.
However, some historians believe that the marriage of Pocahontas and John Rolfe could have been purely political in nature. Thanks to the fact that the Indian princess accepted the traditions and religion of the British, they became confident in their superiority, and the war with the Indians stopped. Also, the leader's daughter impressed King James I of England during a visit to London. And her brilliant knowledge of English and etiquette played a role here.
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Last updated - July 14, 2004
Pocahontas: the wrong side of the legend
Irina,, July 2004
In 1995, Christian Bale voiced the cartoon Pocahontas, and now he will play one of the roles (John Rolfe) in Terrence Malick's new film The New World. Both the film and the cartoon are based on the same real events from 17th century American history, which center on the Indian princess Pocahontas and her relationship with the palefaces. We bring to your attention a story about these events.
Daughter leader
Pocahontas was born around 1594 or 1595 (the exact date is unknown), presumably at the Indian settlement of Werawocomoco (now Wicomico, Virginia), north of the Pamaunkee River (York River). Her ancestral, secret name was Matoaka ("Snow-White Feather").
She was the daughter of a Powhatan chief named Wahunsonacock. True, in the history of white people he remained Powhatan - after the name of the union of tribes that he led. There were about 25 tribes under his rule. Pocahantas was the daughter of one of his many wives.
In the spring of 1607, English settlers landed at the mouth of the Pamaunka River. At the confluence of the Pamaunkee and Chickahiminy, they founded a city named Jamestown (in honor of King James I). By that time, the Powhatan Indians already knew about the existence of white people. In 1570-71, they encountered the Jesuit Spaniards, they heard and about the attempts of the palefaces to establish English colonies in the Carolinas. English ships also sailed to the mouth of the Pamaunka River. A few years before the founding of Jamestown, the English killed one of the Powhatan leaders, and captured many Indians and enslaved them. It is not surprising that the new batch of colonists were Indians They were met unkindly: they were attacked, killed one and wounded several settlers.However, after two of the three ships weighed anchor and sailed back to England, Chief Powhatan invited the settlers to make peace and, as a proof of goodwill, sent a deer to the first governor of the colony, Wingfield. It was at this time that Matoaka met the pale-faced people, who knew her as Pocahontas, which means “spoiled” or “playful.” It was then, presumably, that Pocahontas met John Smith, a man largely thanks to whom her story has survived the centuries and become a legend.
John Smith
John Smith was born around 1580 (that is, he was about 15 years older than Pocahontas). His life was full of adventures. Before arriving on the shores of the new continent, he managed to fight in Hungary against the Turks (in 1596-1606). Contemporaries called him "a rude, ambitious, boastful mercenary." According to eyewitnesses, he was short and had a beard.
An experienced soldier, adventurer, explorer, Smith also had a quick pen and a rich imagination. It was he who wrote the first known description of an English settlement in the New World through the eyes of an eyewitness - “A True Narrative of the Remarkable Events in Virginia since the Founding of this Colony” (1608). This book, however, does not mention Pocahontas. Smith told about how the Indian princess saved his life only in 1616 in a letter to Queen Anne (Pocahontas had just arrived in England, but more on that below), and then repeated this story in his book “General Historie”, published in 1624.
According to Smith, in December 1607, he, at the head of a small detachment of colonists, left the fort in search of food. The Indians, led by Pocahontas's uncle, Openchancanu, attacked the expedition, killed everyone except Smith, and he was taken to the capital Powhatan, to the supreme leader. He ordered Smith to be killed, and then the young Indian woman protected him from the clubs of her fellow tribesmen.
Researchers and historians disagree on how true this story is. Smith could well have invented it - as already said, his imagination always worked well. Doubts were aggravated by the fact that before, Smith, according to him, had already been saved by a princess, but not an Indian, but a Turkish woman - when he was in Turkish captivity. There is another version: the Indians did not intend to kill him at all, but, on the contrary, wanted to accept him into the tribe. Part of the ritual was a mock execution, from which Pocahontas “saved” him.
One way or another, but in Smith's presentation, Pocahontas became a real good angel of the colony of English settlers in Jamestown. Thanks to her, relations with the Indians improved for some time. Pocahontas often visited the fort and maintained friendly relations with John Smith. She even saved his life again by warning him that Chief Powhatan wanted to kill him again. In the winter of 1608, Indians brought provisions and furs to Jamestown, trading them for axes and trinkets. This allowed the colony to hold out until spring.
However, in October 1609, Smith suffered a mysterious accident - he was seriously wounded in the leg by a gunpowder explosion, and had to return to England. Pocahontas was informed that Captain Smith had died.
Among the pale-faced
After Smith's departure, relations between the Indians and colonists began to rapidly deteriorate. In the fall of 1609, Powhatan orders the killing of 60 settlers who arrived in Werawocomoco. Around the same time, Pocahontas marries her fellow tribesman Kokum and goes to live in an Indian settlement on the Potomac River. Little is known about this period of her life (even if John Smith was not found), as well as about the further fate of her husband.
In 1613, one of the residents of Jamestown, the enterprising captain Samuel Argoll, found out where Pocahontas was, and with the help of one of the small Indian leaders (he received a copper cauldron for treason), he lured the daughter of High Chief Powhatan onto his ship, after which he demanded her father - in exchange for his daughter - to release the English captured by the Indians, as well as return the weapons stolen from the settlers and pay a ransom in corn. After some time, the chief sent part of the ransom to Jamestown and asked that his daughter be treated well.
From Jamestown, Pocahontas was transported to the city of Henrico, where Thomas Dale was then governor. The governor entrusted the Indian woman to the care of Pastor Alexander Whitaker. After some time, Pocahontas converted to Christianity. She was baptized into the Anglican faith under the name Rebecca. Around the same time, another white man appeared on the scene, who played a significant role in Pocahontas’s life - colonist John Rolfe.
John Rolf
When John Rolfe and his wife Sarah were sailing from England to Jamestown, a storm drove them to Bermuda. While in Bermuda, Sarah gave birth to a girl, but both Rolf's wife and his newborn daughter soon died. There, in Bermuda, Rolf picked up local tobacco grains, and, arriving in Virginia in 1612, crossed it with local coarse varieties. The resulting hybrid gained enormous popularity in England, and the export of tobacco ensured the financial well-being of the colony for a long time. Of course, Rolf became one of the most respected and wealthy residents of Jamestown. The tobacco plantation he owned was called "Bermuda Hundred".
Pocahontas met John Rolfe in July 1613, after tobacco had brought him wealth and respect from the colonists. The canonical legend states that Pocahontas and Rolfe fell in love and married - with the blessing of Governor Thomas Dale and Pocahontas' father, Chief Powhatan. However, genuine historical documents (in particular, a surviving letter from Rolfe to Governor Dale) allow us to conclude that this marriage was only a political union, and the very pious John Rolfe not only did not want, but even feared an alliance with a pagan and agreed to it only “for the good of plantation, for the honor of the country, to the greater glory of God and for our own salvation" and only after Pocahontas 
accepted Christianity. For Pocahontas, consent to marriage could be a condition of release.
One way or another, on April 5, 1614, 28-year-old widower John Rolfe and the Indian princess Pocahontas got married. The wedding was attended by relatives from the bride's side - her uncle and brothers. Leader Powhatan himself did not appear at the celebration, but agreed to the marriage and even sent a pearl necklace for his daughter. In 1615, Pocahontas, now Rebecca Rolfe, gave birth to a son, who was named Thomas, after the governor. The descendants of Pocahontas and Rolf were known in the United States as the "Red Rolfs."
In his 1616 Narrative of Virginia, Rolfe calls the next few years "blessed" for the colony. Thanks to the marriage of Pocahontas and Rolf, peace reigned between the colonists of Jamestown and the Indians for 8 years.
In the civilized world
In the spring of 1616, Governor Thomas Dale traveled to England. The main purpose of the trip was to seek funding for the Virginia Tobacco Company. In order to impress and attract public attention to the life of the colony, he took with him a dozen Indians, including Princess Pocahonas. Her husband and son accompanied her on the trip. Indeed, Pocahontas had great success in London and was even presented to the court. It was during her stay in England that John Smith wrote a letter to Queen Anne, in which he told the story of his miraculous salvation and in every possible way extolled the positive role of Pocahontas in the fate of the colony. Then Pocahontas and John Smith met again. Sources disagree on the circumstances in which this meeting took place. According to Smith's notes, Pocahontas called him father and asked him to call her daughter. But Chief Roy Crazy Horse, in an authentic biography of Pocahontas on the website powhatan.org, claims that Pocahontas did not even want to talk to Smith, and at the next meeting she called him a liar and showed him the door. Whether this is true or not, Pocahontas and John Smith never met again.
In March 1617, the Rolf family began to prepare to return home to Virginia. But while preparing to sail, Pocahontas fell ill - either with a cold or with pneumonia. Some sources even name tuberculosis or smallpox among the likely illnesses. She died on March 21 and was buried in Gravesend (Kent, England). She was, according to various sources, 21 or 22 years old.
Epilogue
Pocahontas's father, Chief Powhatan, died the following spring of 1618, and relations between the colonists and the Indians deteriorated completely and irrevocably. In 1622, Indians under a new chief attacked Jamestown and killed about 350 settlers. The British responded to aggression with aggression. Even during the lifetime of Pocahontas's peers, the Indians living in Virginia were almost completely exterminated and scattered throughout America, and their lands were given to the colonists. Soon, similar methods of treating the redskins spread throughout the continent.
Jamestown, meanwhile, flourished. John Rolfe continued to grow tobacco successfully. In 1619, he was one of the first to use the labor of black slaves on the plantation; in general, he was a progressive-minded person for his time and, as a result, forever entered the history of the tobacco industry and the history of America. Also in 1619, Jamestown became the capital of Virginia. However, in 1676, the city was practically destroyed during one of the largest Indian uprisings in American history, the Baconis Rebellion, after which it fell into relative decline and in 1698 lost its status as the state capital.
Pocahontas' son, Thomas Rolfe, was raised in England under the care of his uncle, Henry Rolfe. However, at age 20, he returned to his mother's homeland, became an officer in the local militia, and commanded a frontier fort on the James River.
John Rolfe died in 1676, the year of the rebellion, but whether he died a natural death (he would have been about 90 years old) or was killed during a massacre committed by Indians in the city is unknown.
In subsequent years, the story of Pocahontas, Captain Smith and John Rolfe gradually became one of the favorite Virginian, and then all-American myths. Many people in Virginia and beyond are descended from Pocahontas, and references to her and her descendants appear in many literary works. Here is what Mine Reed writes, for example, in the novel “Osceola, Chief of the Seminoles”: “There is an admixture of Indian blood in my veins, since my father belonged to the Randolph family of the Roanoke River and traced his descent from Princess Pocahontas. He was proud of his Indian ancestry - almost boasted of this. Perhaps it will seem strange to a European, but it is known that in America whites who have Indian ancestors are proud of their origin. Being a mestizo is not considered a disgrace, especially if the descendant of the natives has a decent fortune. Many volumes written about "The nobility and greatness of the Indians are less convincing than the simple fact that we are not ashamed to acknowledge them as our ancestors. Hundreds of white families claim to be descended from the Virginia princess. If their claims are true, then the beautiful Pocahontas was a priceless treasure for her husband."
The image of Pocahontas still adorns the flag and seal of the city of Henrico.
Well, after cinema was invented, the myth of Pocahontas - the Indian woman who helped the pale-faced - was repeatedly captured on film in different versions. The first film about Pocahontas was the silent film of the same name in 1910, and the latest at the moment is Terence Malick’s project “The New World”.
The following materials were used in writing the article:
www.incwell.com/Biographies/Pocahontas.html – biography of Pocahontas
www.co.henrico.va.us/manager/pokeypix.htm – “The Four Faces of Pocahontas”
www.powhatan.org/pocc.html - "The True Story of Pocahontas"
www.geocities.com/Broadway/1001/poca.html – David Morenus, "The Real Pocahontas"
members.aol.com/lredtail/poca.html – "Pocahontas, truth and myth"
www.pinzler.com/ushistory/pocatimeline.html – Pocahontas and John Smith, chronology
members.aol.com/mayflo1620/pocahontas.html – John Smith's letter to Queen Anne
www.virtualjamestown.org/rolfe_letter.html – letter from John Rolfe to Governor Dale
www.tabak.ru/realy/hist5.html – John Rolfe in the history of tobacco
www.krugosvet.ru/articles/37/1003773/1003773a1.htm – from the history of American literature
lib.novgorod.net/MAJNRID/oceola.txt – Mine Reed, “Osceola, Chief of the Seminoles”
So, last week another series of my “costume” posts came to its finale, dedicated to “Downton Abbey” (if you suddenly missed everything, don’t worry - the complete collection of works from 27 posts on), which was completed by my grand-final costume competition.
And while its winner is preparing a “dossier” for my work on a mini-analysis of her style and appearance, I have an excellent opportunity and a reason to return another “favor” left over from the last costume competition. Then, more than a year ago, you and I chose the best “crazy” heroines, one of which was this girl.
However, I was not able to prepare a well-deserved mini-analysis for her then, because... The winner, unfortunately, never contacted me and did not send materials. And preparing a style concept “on the fly,” without sufficient information about the client, even in the shortest format, is not always effective. But still...
Even with a small number of photographs, I still have something useful to say about this type (and its design), especially since just the other day I had the opportunity to solve a couple of sartorial problems for a client with a similar appearance.
So, analyzing the girl’s appearance even from those few angles in the photos I have, it is impossible not to note that her coloring, type of contrast and facial features take her appearance away from Central European latitudes, adding “exotic” notes. And even with minimal imagination, looking at our participant, it’s easy to imagine that she could be from exotic Peru or Bolivia:
And if you stretch your imagination a little more , then you can see in this girl the modern embodiment of Pocahontas:
I admit that discovering that such a portrait is “hidden” in the client’s appearance can greatly facilitate the stylist’s work;) Because creating literal, albeit modern, interpretations of clearly defined images is usually easier. And our geronia with its type is no exception in this case:
With such characteristics of the type, both images in the ethno-style, inspired by the costumes of South American tribes, and outfits of the modern version of the Indian princess Pocahontas can be easily achieved:
The only point: such outfits, which are as close as possible to the original, have an increased intensity, which is why they may turn out to be too catchy / pretentious / not suitable for a certain character, temperament or lifestyle (*this is why I never tire of repeating that true personal style should put your inner content first, which will be reflected in your outer appearance).
However, if we assume that the general concept of such a style is not alien to our heroine, then it is quite easy to regulate the degree of costume in her images, thanks to the recognition and high associativity of this style, even if the outfit contains a minimum number of characteristic elements or they are combined with neutral/modern things.
Therefore, if a girl is suitable and likes that her image will be associated with such “style anchors,” then everything will help our heroine - from national costumes to the images of her famous “type sisters” like Vanessa Hudgens, especially when every year they dress up in flocks for Coachella festival. And the only thing left ishow much -from full embodiment to characteristic accessories “scattered” along the basic outline.
And here would be the end of another stylish story, but... just the other day I had the opportunity to look for two interesting sartorial solutions for a client of a very similar type, like our today’s heroine. So, inspired by the general idea of the image of Pocahontas, this girl asked me a question whether, within these stylistic frameworks, it was possible to further emphasize her strong character, confidence and ability to fight (for despite her features lacking rigidity and sharpness, she, by the way, practiced martial arts, and Now she is building her own business). And as possible options, I suggested that she move away from the “boho-chic” elements and pay attention to the images of Alicia Vikander from LV, which are precisely a combination of a modern Pocahontas and a female warrior:
**True, if you have already begun to mentally try on these images for yourself, keep in mind one important point: if you are the owner of a very fragile physique, a young/youthful face and (this may be the main thing) not too combative character, which is manifested in your facial expressions and gestures , that is, there is a good chance that the outfit will look like armor on you that you are hiding behind, and not using at all in battle.
and my combat client’s comment was like this:
Sasha, I can’t help but thank you separately for this picture - it’s just all mine - the black top “under the skin” and the white skirt in the right size and absolutely perfect shoes and even my favorite correctly colored fringe)))
Just super)))
Well, on the other hand, there is another interesting question: can ethno-images / images inspired by Pocahontas, which are clearly suburban in their charge, be “switched” to an urban mood? Here, as an answer, I would recommend looking at some images of Miroslava Duma.
All these images are not ethnic par excellence, but they have similarities at the level of technical details (color solutions, textures, prints), and the type of the hostess adds similarity at the level of the overall charge [for comparison, imagine the same outfits on a classic Slavic blonde] .
And yes, comparing the last two images, you can see not only a certain similarity (in the general mood/energy), but also those differences that make the image of Miroslava (on the right) more urban and refined.
I think it might be relevant, so let's go through it in order...
Firstly, the colors: in the traditional ethnic image they are brighter and more vigorous and there are more of them (we remember that the standard of classical European elegance is, in principle, “colorless” images - total white, total black, total beige). Secondly, prints: ethnic or classic “block” geometry. And thirdly, the style of accessories and the “general design” of the image, which includes, for example, hairstyle.
I don't know if last year's winner will see this post. Hope so! And in this case, I hope that I will find useful ideas in it, despite the fact that the information about it at my disposal was minimal;)
For this, I bow out and remind you that this post is another small example of a mini-analysis, a service available today in the arsenal of my remote services. And if you want too, you can order a mini-analysis by writing me a personal message or sending a request to my work email [email protected]
Valentine's Day is celebrated around the world on February 14th. The population associates this day with love. And when we talk about love, how can we allow ourselves to forget about the love of two people - Pocahontas and John Smith.
Pocahontas, the Indian princess was the daughter of Powhatan. "Pocahontas" was her childhood nickname due to her restless nature; in the language of the village of Powhatan it meant "little nonsense." Her father was a chief of the Algonquian Indians in the Tidewater region of Virginia.
This happened in April/May 1607, when English colonists arrived in Virginia and began building their settlements. It was then that Pocahontas saw the English for the first time in her life. Among them, she met John Smith, one of the leading colonists, and immediately felt great sympathy for him. The first date between Pocahontas and Jonah Smith has become a legendary story. It is believed that John Smith was leading an expedition in December 1607 when a group of Powhatan hunters captured him and brought him to Werawokomono, one of the main villages of the Powhatan Empire. Smith was taken to the official Powhatan residence, where he was tortured. Pocahontas saved his life. Smith lay on the sacrificial stone and was supposed to be killed, but Pocahontas threw herself on his body. Pocahontas then helped Smith to his feet and Powhatan accepted Smith as his son. This incident helped Pocahontas and Smith become friends.
Pocahontas, after this incident, began to frequently visit Jamestown and conveyed messages from her father to the British.
In 1608, Pocahontas, according to legend, saved Smith a second time. Smith and other colonists were invited to Werawokomono, with whom they had friendly relations, but Pocahontas came to the dwelling where the English lived and warned them that Powhatan was going to kill them all. Because of this warning, the British remained on guard and no massacre occurred.
In October 1609, after being seriously wounded by a gunpowder explosion, John Smith returned to England. When Pocahontas made another visit to the fort, she was informed that John was dead.
In March 1613, English captain Samuel Argall kidnapped Pocahontas and informed Powhatan that he would not release her until he released the English prisoners along with the weapons and tools he had previously confiscated. Samuel Argall arrived in Jamestown in April 1613.
In December 1613, Captain Argall sailed up the Potomac River to a distant Indian village with Pocahontas to trade with the Indians. He bargained for a copper cauldron for Pocahontas. The colonists hoped that Powhatan would exchange prisoners and weapons for Pocahontas. Powhatan sent many prisoners back and promised friendship and corn, but did not return the weapons. Captain Argall decided that this was only part of the ransom and because of this he did not give Pocahontas back to her father.
Although she was a hostage, Pocahontas was free to walk within the settlements. Pocahontas settled in Henricus. There she was given a warm room, beautiful clothes and provisions. It was here that Pocahontas fell in love with the Englishman John Rolfe. They got married in April. Pocahontas was converted to Christianity. She entered the world under the name Rebecca Rolfe, and began to live an English life.
For the next 8 years, whites and Indians lived in peace. Pocahontas and John Rolfe were very happy. They had a child, whom they named Thomas. Rolph invented new ways to plant and treat tobacco diseases. He planned to send a good shipment of tobacco to the Old World. In 1616, John and Pocahontas sailed to England to negotiate with King James for the supply of tobacco to England.
In early 1617, Pocahontas was able to pay a visit to London, where he met her beloved John Smith after 8 long years, and was shocked to see him alive again. She was very worried that she was not able to marry her first love. This was their last meeting.
It is said that she was unable to overcome emotions and memories on the voyage back to Virginia, and she died of a broken heart in March on board the ship. Note. Although love stories are always beautiful, real life is harsher. In fact, she was married to a man from her tribe while she was helping the English. She died, not from a broken heart, but from simple smallpox, which was fatal to all Indians who had contact with England.
Thanks to colorful Disney cartoons, the whole world knows the story of the Indian princess Pocahontas and her two lovers - Captain Smith and John Rolfe. However, was everything really like that, or did the creators of the cartoon and films about the Indian princess embellish the truth too much? And why did Pocahontas choose John Rolfe over his namesake Smith? To understand all this, it is worth learning more about the fate of Mr. Rolfe, as well as about the actor Christian Bale and other performers of this role.
The real story of Pocahontas
The Indian princess Pocahontas actually had a slightly different name - Matoaka. She was originally from the Powhatans (Powhatens) and was the daughter of Heleva - one of the many wives of the leader of the tribal union - Powhatan. Although the head of the tribal union had more than 80 children, Matoaka was his favorite, so he often followed her whims. Perhaps that is why the British called her Pocahontas - “prankster”, “mistress”.
It is believed that Matoaka was born in 1594-1595. in the Indian village of Werawocomoco (present-day Wicomico) near the Pamaunka River (now York River). Nothing is known about her early years.
In 1607, white people established the settlement of Jamestown on Powhatan lands. That's how John Smith came here. Being 15 years older than Pocahontas, he managed to visit a lot of places. Smith was a traveler and adventurer who took part in several wars. For the leader's daughter, who had never been anywhere in particular, a man like John was exotic, it is not surprising that she immediately fell in love with him.
When the Indians tried to kill John Smith and his men, who had wandered into the lands of the Redskins in search of food, the girl shielded the pale-faced captain and thereby saved his life. Later, thanks to her, the colonists' relations with the Indians improved, which helped them survive their first winter in new lands.
John Smith spent another year in Jamestown, and all this time he maintained a close acquaintance with the Indian princess, who became a real blessing for the colonists. How close their relationship was - history is silent.
In the fall of 1609, Captain Smith was seriously wounded and sent home to England, and Pocahontas was informed that he had died. Some historians believe that this was the idea of Smith himself, who thus wanted to end a protracted romance with a beautiful savage.
Some accuse John Smith of lying to gain attention, since the brave captain never mentioned this romantic story before Matoaka arrived in Britain in 1616. In addition, his memoirs featured a similar story about the hero’s rescue by the daughter of the Turkish Sultan.
On the other hand, it cannot be denied that with Smith’s departure, relations between the Indians and the inhabitants of Jamestown worsened, which means that he had a certain influence on their princess. In addition, only Smith's story can explain why the British later kidnapped the girl and blackmailed the Powhatan leader with her in order to end the war with them.
After holding Pocahontas captive for several months, the colonists realized that by marrying her to one of the settlers, they could achieve eternal peace with the Indians. But for this you need a suitable candidate. It was John Rolfe.
Biography of John Rolfe
This man was born in 1585 in Hechem. Unlike Smith, he was not a seeker of adventure and military glory. Rolf was more of a hard-headed entrepreneur who became famous through the tobacco trade.
At that time, the struggle for a monopoly on the tobacco trade market began in Europe. Since the British climate was unfavorable for growing this plant, it became necessary to develop new lands for this in America. Among those who went into this business was young John Rolfe.
Together with his pregnant wife Sarah Hacker, he went to Jamestown in 1609 to settle there and establish a tobacco supply. However, due to bad weather, the Rolfs were stranded. During this period, Sarah gave birth to a daughter, but John's wife and daughter soon died.
However, the widower did not give up. Having found a special variety of tobacco in Bermuda, he crossed it with one that was grown in Jamestown. The new variety gained incredible popularity in England and Europe, thanks to which both the colony and John himself began to prosper.
Meanwhile, Jamestown was still uneasy because of the Indians. Only the capture of Matoaka allowed peace to be achieved for a time. For the sake of the well-being of the colony, John agreed to become the husband of an Indian princess.
Love triangle: John Smith, Pocahontas and John Rolfe
According to legend, Rolf fell in love with Matoaka at first sight and, having achieved reciprocity, married her. However, in reality, this marriage was only a business agreement, which John did not decide on until the bride converted to Christianity.
And Pocahontas didn’t feel much passion for her groom. Not because of John Smith. If the princess was in love with him, then over time this feeling went away, and the leader’s daughter married a fellow tribesman and lived with him for several years. What happened to the husband is not known; he probably died before Matoaka was captured.
For many, it remains a mystery why the proud princess agreed to marry Rolf if she did not love him. Most likely, she saw in this marriage the only chance to gain freedom.
In April 1614, the colonist and the princess got married. The bride's father did not attend the ceremony, but gave gifts through his brother and son.
A year later, Mrs. Rolfe gave birth to a son, Thomas. Thanks to the marriage, peace reigned between the colonists and the Indians for many years, and Jamestown began to prosper. However, huge royal taxes prevented the city from developing. To persuade the king to reduce them, in 1616 John Rolfe, along with his wife and son, went to England. On this trip, Pocahontas played the role of an exotic curiosity who was supposed to win the favor of the monarch.
Rolf made the right decision - his wife created a real sensation at court. However, she herself was no less surprised when she learned that John Smith, whom she considered dead, was alive.
According to legend, Pocahontas found herself between two fires: she had to choose between two men, and, out of duty, she remained with her husband.
Smith himself claimed that when they met, Matoaka asked to be called her daughter, and he praised her very much. But eyewitnesses testified to the contrary: Mrs. Rolfe called Smith a vile deceiver and kicked him out. They did not meet again, and a few months later Pocahontas fell ill with smallpox and died.
After her death, John Rolfe left two-year-old Thomas in the care of relatives while he returned to America. A year and a half later, he remarried the colonist Jane Pierce. From this marriage a daughter, Elizabeth, was born.
With the death of Matoaka, relations with the Indians began to deteriorate. According to one legend, Rolf was killed by the Powhatans in 1622, as revenge for the capture and death of Pocahontas.
The fate of Thomas Rolfe
After the death of his mother, the boy also fell ill with smallpox, so he was left by his father in England. The child managed to survive, but John did not want to take him in and left him in the care of his brother Henry. The boy never saw his father again.
It is believed that Pocahontas’ son returned to America at the age of 21, but his fate in the next 6 years is unknown. He later married Jane Poythress. The couple had only one daughter, Jane.
The last written mention of John Rolfe's son dates back to 1658, and he is believed to have died in 1680.
Film history of the character
The legend about the noble daughter of a leader who fell in love with a Briton has been filmed several times. This happened for the first time in 1953. The movie was called “Captain John Smith and Pocahontas.” In this film, the plot was built around the couple Smith and the princess, so Rolf was a minor character.
2 years later, in the film magazine TV Reader's Digest, the issue of America's First Great Lady was dedicated to the story of Matoaka. In it, John Rolfe acted as a noble man who became an obstacle to the love of Smith and Pocahontas.
In 1998, the Disney studio released the cartoon Pocahontas 2: Journey to a New World.
The traditional story has been changed. Matoaka arrives in England to protect his lands from the machinations of Ratcliffe, who convinced the king that the Indians had gold. Rolf helps her get used to the new world, with whom she sincerely falls in love, and in his company returns to America, rejecting the advances of John Smith.
In 2005, the film “New World” was shot, in which the love story of the leader’s daughter was told in a traditional form.
John Rolfe: biography, filmography of the performer of this role Christian Bale
The first two film adaptations of the story of Pocahontas, filmed in the 50s, did not gain much popularity. But the film “New World” became the best of its kind.
In it, the role of a loving colonist was played by Christian Bale, already a fairly well-known actor at that time. John Rolfe turned out to be very sincere, and many believe that Bale played better than John Smith.
Christian Bale was born in 1974 in Britain in the family of a pilot and a circus performer. They moved endlessly from country to country. Already at the age of 9, young Christian starred in advertising. This actor first became known to domestic audiences thanks to the film “Mio, My Mio,” in which he played Yum-Yum. In subsequent years, Christian Bale starred a lot in costume television projects (Treasure Island, Little Women, Portrait of a Lady, etc.). Real fame came to him with roles in “American Psycho” and “Equilibrium.”
Later, Bale managed to consolidate his success thanks to the birth of Batman in the film trilogy. Moreover, Christian’s performance is recognized as one of the best in the entire history of the character’s existence.
In addition to Batman, during his career Bale managed to create many interesting characters on the screen: John Connor, Moses, Michael Burry and John Rolfe. has more than 40 projects, and he does not plan to stop there. In 2017, with the participation of the actor, the film Hostiles will be released about an American captain accompanying the dying Cheyenne leader on the way to the lands of his ancestors.
Other actors who play John Rolfe
In addition to Bale, other artists played Pocahontas' husband. The first performer of this role was the hero of science fiction films of the 50s - Robert Clark. In "America's First Great Lady" John Rolfe was played by John Stevenson. And in the Disney cartoon, Pocahontas' lover was voiced by the famous Hollywood playboy, Billy Zane ("Titanic", "Sniper").
Interesting facts
Many Americans and Britons proudly call themselves descendants of Pocahontas. However, most of them are wrong. The fact is that in the 30s of the 17th century. Thomas Rolfe's namesake lived in England. In 1632 he married the British woman Elizabeth Washington. This couple had 5 children. Their numerous descendants consider themselves the heirs of Pocahontas. But, according to documents, this man lived in England in 1642, while the real Thomas Rolfe at that time lived thousands of kilometers away in Virginia, which is documented.
And Edith Wilson - the wives of two US presidents - are considered direct descendants of Pocahontas.
Before The New World, Christian Bale participated in another project related to the story of an Indian princess. He voiced one of the sailors in the cartoon "Pocahontas".
Unfortunately, the real fate of John Rolfe and his wife Pocahontas was not nearly as romantic as shown in the Disney cartoon or in The New World. But if it weren’t for her, then there would be nothing to inspire writers and artists who created beautiful masterpieces based on her, which the whole world admires to this day.