Powhatan Dilemma Sparknotes

After reading the book “Pocahontas and the Powhatan Dilemma” by Camilla Townsend, I realized that the Disney movie “Pocahontas” is very historically inaccurate. Many people might recall seeing this movie in their childhood but many do not take the time to see who Pocahontas really was as a person and what actually happened in her lifetime. In the book Townsend argues that Pocahontas was a stouthearted and keenly intellective woman who sacrificed and dared to forfend her people. She also argues that the Powhatans and the other Native American people were not oblivious savages but were sophisticated and clever people utilizing their own subtle cunning to fight against the English’s immense technological advantage. Townsend confronts the myths

about Pocahontas, what actions were put into play by her and what factors made her known in history.
Pocahontas was born around 1597 and was given a ceremonial name of Amonute and also a secret name that was revealed as Makoaka when she got married.

Townsend believes that the name Pocahontas, meaning “Little Playful One”, came from her interactions with the villagers. She was one of dozens of children born to Powhatan, whose proper name was Wahunsenacawh. Since Pocahontas was a woman in the tribe, she learned a lot from the other women when they all made trips to the wilderness to pick greens and berries. A lot of the information that Pocahontas learned from the tribe not only helped her but most likely helped the colonists too when she would share information with

them.
One of the most famous myths about Pocahontas involve a man named John Smith. John Smith was a leader of the Jamestown colony who was captured by Pocahontas’s tribe. The myth is told by stating that Smith’s head was placed on a stone and just before the warrior “beat his brains out” Pocahontas jumped on top of him to save his life (52). Pocahontas’s father, Powhatan, then smiled and said that the white man could be freed.
In the book, Townsend made a few points as to why this myth is not true whatsoever. One of the main points that she makes as to why this is false is that John Smith never spoke of this story all the way up to 1624 when he knew that no one could refute him. Another point is that Smith wrote books and told stories about the young, beautiful women who he met that fell madly in love with his short, stocky self. His stories were made to have lots of action and exotic women so it is easy to assume that Smith liked to stretch the truth so that he could entertain the people. Lastly, Townsend makes the third point that in 1624 Powhatan probably did adopt John Smith as his son and Pocahontas might have took part in the ceremony. Townsend writes, “Adopting Smith would have been in keeping with the Algonkian culture” (56).
Another myth was produced when Powhatan requested a monstrous trap on Jamestown and Pocahontas cautioned the English individuals of the assault to come.

The occasion depicted Pocahontas cautioning John Smith of the plots amidst the night in the downpour. Townsend assumes this myth can be misrepresented in light of the fact that the English would have had their suspicions and been vigilant. The English additionally knew they had the high ground with weapons and shield, so Pocahontas would have known the English didn't require her redeeming quality. At this point Pocahontas does not see John Smith until years after the fact in

London.
In 1613 the English discovered news about Pocahontas and captured her because the Virginia Company wanted to take noble hostages. An Englishman who was known as reverend Whitaker hoped that living with these sorts of individuals would make her more instructed with English society and would possibly convert her to their religion as well. The many events that took place when Pocahontas was with the English developed her historically as a person. Townsend writes, “At the end of each week Pocahontas was relieved somewhat from her tête-à-têtes with the intense Whitaker, but she then had to face the English in large groups, and increasingly she was expected to perform for them by conversing and reciting what she knew” (113-114). It is easy to assume that Pocahontas was a very quick learner. Around this time a man named John Rolfe fell in love with Pocahontas. It is said that she was forced into marrying him and was also forced to convert to Christianity but Townsend believes that she had more input in those decisions than everyone seems to think.
Who Pocahontas was as a person and her legacy in history is extremely bended. At various times in history Pocahontas has been seen in various ways. Around the time that she was still alive, people might have viewed her as an exotic, Native Princess who married an Englishman. The social ramifications of Indians and white Europeans collaborating brought a great deal of feedback. The Disney movie “Pocahontas” and even some books easily give many false assumptions about Pocahontas and her life. Today, many people would say that Pocahontas was an Indian girl who was entangled between the loyalty to her native kin and her love with the English.
Throughout the book Townsend used many different sources to inform the readers about Pocahontas’s historical account. The author utilized basic thinking and analyzed the chronicled truths to make the best presumptions about Pocahontas. Educated assumptions must have been made since there is no evidence about what Pocahontas was thinking all of those years. Townsend attempted her best to make an exact record that tries to ruin the basic presumptions. Pocahontas had a few suspicions and obviously some myths about her and the way she thought but Townsend made a careful showing with attempting to clear up history.
Pocahontas has indeed been misinterpreted by many sources but one thing that has remained true is that she was an important part in history. Even though the white settlers destroyed Virginia’s Indian tribes, Townsend makes a point that there was nothing that anyone could have done to change that. Townsend writes, “It is important to do them the honor of believing that they did their best. They all made decisions as well as they could, managing in what were often nearly unbearable situations” (178). After reading this book one of the many things I came out with was realizing that Pocahontas was an independent woman who transformed into a leader.