Matoaka, also known by her later nickname Pocahontas, was a Native American woman from the Powhatan Confederacy, which was located in the region that is now Virginia.

Name and Nickname

Matoaka was her birth name, and she was later given the nickname “Pocahontas,” which means “playful one” or “little wanton” in the Powhatan language.

Birth

It’s often stated that she was born around 1595; however, the exact date is not known. She was the daughter of Powhatan, the paramount chief of the Powhatan Confederacy.

Contact with English Colonists

Pocahontas is most famous for her interactions with English colonists in Jamestown, Virginia. She is often associated with the story of how she saved the life of Englishman John Smith, though the accuracy of this story is debated by historians.

Capture

Pocahontas was captured by the English during the First Anglo-Powhatan War in 1613. She was held for ransom at Jamestown.

Marriage

Pocahontas married English settler John Rolfe in 1614. Their marriage helped establish a period of peace between the English colonists and the Powhatan Confederacy.

Pocahontas’s Journey to England

In 1616, Pocahontas and John Rolfe traveled to England, where she was presented at the English court as an example of a “civilized” Native American. She met King James I and Queen Anne.

How did Pocahontas die?

Pocahontas became ill and died in England in 1617, at the age of approximately 21. She was buried in Gravesend, England.

How is she remembered?

Pocahontas is remembered as a figure who symbolizes the early interactions between Native Americans and English settlers in North America. Her story has been the subject of numerous books, films, and other works of art.

Pocahontas’s life and her role as a bridge between Native American and English cultures continue to be a subject of historical interest and cultural significance.

Descendants

Some of Pocahontas’s descendants are known today, including members of the First Families of Virginia and various other lineages.