Disney World – History As It Was Not

June 13, 1995

In today’s “Business” section of the newspaper, there was an item referring to Walt Disney stock reaching a 52-week high in anticipation of great profits from the movie, “Pocahontas”, soon to be released. While admitting I’m a crabby curmudgeon, I’m predicting some historical events which WON’T be in the movie.

When Captain John Smith wrote his first report of his meeting with the great Indian chief, Powhatan, he made no mention whatsoever of being saved by Pocahontas. Many years later (when Pocahontas had become famous both in England and Virginia), Smith added the story that Pocahontas had saved him from having his brains clubbed out by taking him in her arms.

At the time of the alleged saving, Pocahontas was a young girl of 11 or 12 years old. Her name was Matoaka, but she was called Pocahontas – or “little wanton.” She was so called because when she came to Jamestown, as George Willison’s original source puts it, to the delight of all, would “get the boyes forth with her into the markett place and make them wheele, falling on their hands ... she would follow and wheele so naked as she was, all the fort over.”

Captured by Captain Argall of the ship “Treasurer” in a ransom plot to compel Powhatan to give the colonists large amounts of corn, Pocahontas had been influenced to renounce her “idolatry and openly confessed her Christian faith.” She was baptized and christened, “Rebecca.”

John Rolfe, a widower who had lost wife and child in a Bermuda shipwreck, was in Jamestown experimenting with tobacco-growing, seeking to improve its quality. He wrote a long letter describing his love for Pocahontas, not from (as he wrote) any “unbridled desire of carnall affection, but for the good of this Plantation, for the honour of our countrie, for the glory of God, for my owne salvation, and for the converting to the true knowledge of God and Jesus Christ an unbeleeving creature, Pokahuntas.” How was it that Rolfe did not know that Pocahontas was was already a baptized Christian, renamed Rebecca?

They were married. Pocahontas was willing even though she apparently already had a husband, married four years before to a brave named Kocoum.

In 1616, Rolfe and Pocahontas and their infant son, Thomas, sailed for England where Pocahontas was honored as royalty (daughter of the great chief Powhatan). “Lady Rebecca” had brought a retinue of Indian maids and her brother-in-law, Tomakin. She seemed to enjoy much the pomp and circumstance with which she was treated.

Just before her scheduled return to Virginia, she died, probably of pneumonia. Within four months, four of her Indian maids died similarly. Pocahontas was 22 years old. When John Rolfe discovered that the royal pension granted Pocahontas would not be granted to him, he abandoned his son, Thomas, in England, and never saw him again, [and he ignored] Thomas in his will.

My hope is that viewers of the movie (expected to contribute $700 million to Disney coffers, 85 cents a share) will enjoy the fictional romance, and not confuse the creative animation with historical events.

If you want to check out the crabby curmudgeon’s observations, I suggest BEHOLD VIRGINIA by George F. Willison, or “Pocahontas in Life and Legend” in the journal “American History,” July 1995 issue.