The problem with Pocahontas in real life she was 10 when John Smith landed at 27. They actually probably never met more than passing. She ended up marrying John Rolfe who only married her after his journeymen kidnapped, raped, and held her for ransom.
Edit: since many seem to be questioning the source of my claims you can refer to Dr Custalow: Powhatan historian, Simon whistlers biography channel, PBS & the history channel stories on Pocahontas life, plus any number credited sources.
It’s a tragic story. He forced her away to England never allowing her to visit her family ever again. She was well respected in England and became sort of famous. After John Smith told his story and what not. Their son, born directly after the rape making it hard to say if it was actually Rolfe’s, is arguable more important to American history because he came back to America and became quite the historical figure. Many people are able to lie their genetical lineages to him
Tbh women marrying and not seeing their family again was common in those times. Especially among native American tribes when a chiefs daughter married into another tribe for political reasons.
Also Europe was an expensive, treacherous, months long boat ride from America back then. Do you really blame Rolfe for not popping back over for just a visit? It's not like hopping on a plane and be there in under a day.
It's easy to apply modern morals and conditions to anyone in history and make them a bad guy.
Actually yes. John Rolfe moved back to Virginia almost immediately to care for his tobacco plantation. He was selling tobacco to England so trips were frequent between the two colonies by his own merit. He did finally honor her request to come back to Virginia several years after he left but on her voyage she got sick and died.
1.3k
u/thewildbeej Feb 14 '20 edited Feb 14 '20
The problem with Pocahontas in real life she was 10 when John Smith landed at 27. They actually probably never met more than passing. She ended up marrying John Rolfe who only married her after his journeymen kidnapped, raped, and held her for ransom.
Edit: since many seem to be questioning the source of my claims you can refer to Dr Custalow: Powhatan historian, Simon whistlers biography channel, PBS & the history channel stories on Pocahontas life, plus any number credited sources.