the film’s accuracy to be completely and utterly valid‚ it is simply not the case. Disney’s Pocahontas holds some truth‚ but more fiction than anything else. The aim of this paper is to separate fact from fiction‚ based on the testimony from Captain John Smith himself‚ the Powhatan Nation‚ as well as interpretations from other historians on the true events that took place and shaped Pocahontas’s significant role in this point of history along with others playing a key part in her development. Background/Overview
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Jamestown (Lemay‚ XIV). Pocahontas soon developed affection for the settlers and brought them food often. In early December of 1607‚ Captain John Smith and seven other colonists decided to venture into the Chickahoming River country to obtain corn for the inhabitants (Woodward‚ 64). Native Americans captured the men and murdered all of the Englishmen‚ except for John Smith. They held him captive‚ and if not for the sacrifice of Pocahontas he would have suffered the same fate as his men. “Suddly a little
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Pocahontas was a Native American princess‚ and a peacemaker. She was famous for her connection with the colonial settlement at Jamestown‚ Virginia. Also for saving a life of English captain John Smith. Pocahontas was born on 1595 in what is now eastern Virginia. Pocahontas was a daughter of Powhatan‚ an important chief of the Algonquian Indians (the Powhatans) who lived in the Virginia region. Her real name was "Matoaka." "Pocahontas" was a nickname meaning "playful" or "naughty one
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kilometers up the James River from the bay. Made up of townsmen and adventurers more interested in finding gold than farming‚ the group was unequipped by temperament or ability to embark upon a completely new life in the wilderness. Among them‚ Captain John Smith emerged as the dominant figure. Despite quarrels‚ starvation and Indian attacks‚ his ability to enforce discipline held the little colony together through its first year. In 1609 Smith returned to England‚ and in his absence‚ the colony descended
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David A. Price‚ Love and Hate in Jamestown: John Smith‚ Pocahontas‚ and the Heart of a New Nation (New York: Alfred A. Knopf) As a young child many of us are raised to be familiar with the Pocahontas and John Smith story. Whether it was in a Disney movie or at a school play that one first learned of Jamestown‚ students want to believe that this romantic relationship really did occur. As one ages‚ one becomes aware of the dichotomy between fact and fiction. This is brilliantly explained in David
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The colonies of Jamestown and Plymouth were among the first to develop in the New World. The original settlers of Jamestown sailed into the Chesapeake Bay and up a river‚ which they named the James. The settlers of Plymouth were originally bound for the Hudson area in New York‚ but due to the upcoming winter were forced to stay in an area around Cape Cod. These two settlements developed into successful societies through many years and many problems‚ although developed in very different ways.
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Captain John Smith would organize trade with Powhatan and his tribe‚ and later would betray them by organizing raids on their food supply. After being captured by Powhatan’s tribe‚ the chief’s daughter Pocahontas saved Smith by laying her head beside his as he was about to be executed. Later‚ Pocahontas would be captured by the settlers during a raid on her tribe and held for ransom. Pocahontas chose to stay within Jamestown after she was released and eventually married colonist John Rolfe‚ creating
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faced‚ they expanded and improved their colony socially and economically with the arrival of the tobacco cash crop‚ indentured servants‚ and slaves. While many historians delude the success of Virginia’s first colony‚ Jamestown‚ to John Smith‚ the real savior was John Rolfe’s discovery of tobacco. At the beginning of the 17th century‚ Jamestown‚ Virginia was a suffering colony‚ threatened to become extinct. Disease and hunger took the lives of numerous people and Jamestown looked like it would
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When discussing the notable leader of the Jamestown Colony‚ otherwise known as John Smith‚ a rather interesting has arisen regarding his genuine experience with the daughter of Powhatan‚ the Native American Chief. The girl‚ widely known as Pocahontas‚ is known for her inextricable link to Captain John Smith‚ Smith who had a suspiciously idyllic story to share. According to the National Park Service Website on Historical Jamestown‚ Smith’s tale involved being brought before Chief Powhatan and preparing
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The motives for the exploration and colonization of the New World did not differ much from country to country. Though different motivations may have been emphasized more heavily in certain counties‚ most explorations were spurred by religious reasons‚ commercial causes‚ and the desire for expanded power around the globe. The population of Europe resurged during the years following the Black Death‚ which was responsible for killing approximately one third of the population between 1347-1447 (Brinkley
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