Disney created an enchanted world with beautiful princesses and their happily-ever-afters. While most of these princesses were based on fairy tales and popular myths, the 7th Disney Princess was the very first to be based on an actual historical figure. I’m talking about the brave Red Indian princess – Pocahontas. Disney’s adaptations and accounts of true people are often sprinkled with many historical inaccuracies, like Mulan, but their version of Pocahontas takes the cake of being as far from the original story as possible.
The fabricated story of a romance between a native Indian and a colonist has perpetuated over 400 years with longstanding false accounts in history books and of course, our beloved Disney movie. It’s sad to note that the animated classic almost seems like a work of fiction as one gets to know the much darker and tragic tale of the real Pocahontas. The real story is one of abduction, rape, genocide, and even murder. It’s not for the faint of heart, so if you’re not concerned with ruining your childhood memories filled with Disney classics, read on.
Pocahontas’ Childhood:
Pocahontas was born around 1596 to Powhatan Chief Wahunsenaca. Her birth name was actually not Pocahontas but “Amonute”. Native Americans have a unique tradition for naming a person. Children are given a name at birth, and it often changes as they grow up and the family learns more about their personality. Her father also gave her the nickname of Matoaka which means “the flower between two streams.” It was probably given to her as she was born between the rivers of Mattaponi and the Pamunkey.
As per the custom of the time, her father as the Paramount chief had several kids with many different women from different villages, so Matoaka had many loving half-siblings. Her mother was very beloved to the chief, but she died during childbirth. As Matoaka was similar to her mother both in looks and personality, she quickly became her father’s favorite.
Because she reminded him of her mother, the chief often referred to her as Pocahontas, which means “the playful one.” And the name truly did suit her. As a young cheerful girl, she would sprint through the forest, climb trees and do cartwheels, always laughing and playing. So, at age 14, when she went through her coming of age ceremony, she officially changed her name to Pocahontas.
The True Story of Pocahontas and John Smith:
Pocahontas was only 10 years old when John Smith and the English colonists arrived in Tsenacomoca in the spring of 1607. At the time, John Smith, who was also dubbed as “President of Virginia” and the “Admiral of New England”, was 27 years old. So, Smith and Pocahontas never had any romantic relationship.
John Smith was not the kind and compassionate leader we saw in the animated movie. In real life, he was cruel, and the native people feared him because he used to go into villages, put guns to their heads, and forcefully demand food and other supplies. He was eventually captured by the Powhatans and forced to live in the village. As seasons passed by, the chief and John Smith grew closer and decided to ally against their common enemy – the Spanish. With this, he was bestowed upon with the title of “Werowance” or “Chief of the colonists.”
John Smith later published a book bragging about his adventures, which modern-day historians believe is a work of fiction, in which he claimed that Pocahontas saved his life during the four-day process of becoming the Werowance. As many historians are inclined to believe, this is probably just a lie for many reasons. First, there would be no reason he would be executed or punished after being given such a high honor by the chief. Also, children weren’t allowed to be present during the ceremony, so Pocahontas couldn’t be there in the first place to save his life.
Kidnapped and Then Murdered
When Pocahontas was 14 years old, she married a young man named Kocoum, who was the brother of one of the village leaders. When she was 16 years old, she became pregnant and eventually gave birth to a daughter. During the first Anglo-Powhatan war, as tensions between the natives and the colonists severed, the white men hatched a plan that they would kidnap and use Pocahontas as leverage to stop Chief Powhatan from completely obliterating the colony. A white man named Captain Samuel Argall snuck into Pocahontas’ village and abducted her. Her husband Kocoum was killed the same night by the white colonists.
Far away from her family and village, Pocahontas fell into a state of depression. It became so serious that she stopped eating and the colonists who had to keep her alive for using her as leverage, allowed her sister and her husband to visit her. It was during these visits, it is said, Pocahontas confided how she was being raped on a regular basis, and by multiple men.
It just gets worse from here. Pocahontas eventually became pregnant by one of the men. With a baby on the way, it was impossible for the colonists to hide the fact that she was raped in captivity. This is where John Rolfe enters the picture. He was an English businessman that offered to marry Pocahontas. In 1614, Pocahontas was forced to go through a Christian Baptism and was given an English name – Rebecca Rolfe. The colonists of the time claimed that the two fell in love, but many historians believe otherwise looking at what happened and how Pocahontas was never allowed to meet her family or go to her homeland after marriage.
The Chief, believing that his daughter was safe and happy, signed the peace treaty. Once her purpose was served, the colonists made plans to bring her back to Virginia. And this might be the saddest part, but after eating dinner with Rolfe and Argall, she vomited and died at the tender age of 21. It’s believed that she was poisoned by the two men as the tribe members that accompanied her on that trip said she was in perfect health before the dinner. It would make sense because a sudden mysterious death at 21 is just not normal.
And that is the incredibly heartbreaking and tragic story of Pocahontas. There is no happy ending here because sadly, sometimes, that’s just what happens in life. But through the centuries, Pocahontas has remained a significant and well-loved cultural icon, and her resilience and strength inspire many even today.
Written By - Radhika Rathi
Edited By - Vaibhav Sharma
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