Historical Accuracy:
1. "The New World" portrays Pocahontas to be an older teenager possibly around 17 or 18. The viewer can conclude this by looking at her height as well as other physical traits acquired through puberty. However, Historians believe when Pocahontas met John Smith she was around 11 or 12 years old. In "The American Promise" on page 56 it states "…Pocahontas, Powhatan's eleven-year-old daughter…" (Roark, 56).
2. It is said that John Smith was captured by Powhatan while leading his men in search of food. "On a blustery December day in 1607 John Smith was leading a small contingent of men in search for food when they encountered a group of Powhatan. Smith got away from the ensuing fight but was soon captured by the half-brother of Chief Powhatan" ("Pocahontas Saves John Smith: 1607"). Meanwhile, the movie has a different take on what happened. The Englishmen decided to go down the river in search of more land and John Smith agreed to stay behind and protect the settlement from the Indians. It is then, while his fellow Englishmen are gone that John Smith is captured.
3. History says that John Smith's
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recount of the event is that "he was saved by Pocahontas when she threw herself over him just as he was about to be executed…" ("Pocahontas Saves John Smith: 1607"). However, in the movie scene Pocahontas is shown pleading to her father who is the Powhatan Chief to spare John Smith. Thereby the Chief eventually obliges and releases Smith. Nowhere in the movie is it shown that Pocahontas throws herself onto John Smith. 4. In the movie after settling in Jamestown, the English tried planted crops for food. Unfortunately, the crops weren't growing leaving the settlers to starve and resort to extreme measures of cannibalism. While the movie didn't exactly show this, it was mentioned that they were eating those that had died in order to survive. An article written in The William and Mary Quarterly suggests that the movie is correct. It states that the settlers began eating whatever they could, "from acorns to starch to horsehides. When these were depleted, multiple colonists ate one Indian, and one man killed his wife and ate her preserved body" (Herrmann, 55). Portrayal: 1. Women: The movie severely lacked in the presentation of women. In fact, the only woman that appeared in the movie was Pocahontas. While we barely read about women when researching Jamestown, they were present among the Englishmen as well as the Indians. The lack of representation I believe comes from lack of knowledge since women's lives were not very well documented as they were seen as inferior to white men. 2.
Indians: The movie was reasonably accurate in portraying the Indians however the order in which their feelings were expressed were different than what Historians report. In the beginning of the movie, when the Indians first came into contact with the Englishmen they were curious and friendly. Then as the movie progressed they became fearful because the colonists were taking their land. As a result, the Indians became hostile and began fighting for their land. According to John Smith however, "The first people we saw were two grim and stout Salvages upon Cape Charles, with long poles like Javelings, headed with bone, they boldly demanded what we were, and what we would; but after many circumstances they seemed very kinde, and directed us to Accomack, the habitation of their Werowance (chief), where we were kindly intreated" ("New World
Impressions"). 3. Englishmen: The Jamestown colonists were portrayed very well in the movie. They came to this new land in hopes of finding gold. After coming into contact with the Indians, the colonists felt they were superior and weren't threatened by them at all. Citations Herrmann, Rachel B. "The 'Tragicall Historie': Cannibalism and Abundance in Colonial Jamestown." The William and Mary Quaterly, vol. 68, Jan. 2011, pp. 47-74. EBSCOhost, www.jstor.org.libproxy.ocean.edu:2048/stable/pdf/10.5309/willmaryquar.68.1.0047.pdf?refreqid=excelsior:2ee1b69e878e210e62fdbc382072be78. "New world impressions." American History, Feb. 2016, p. 8. US History Collection, http://link.galegroup.com.libproxy.ocean.edu:2048/apps/doc/A435541151/PPUS? u=toms86543&sid=PPUS&xid=12e282b1. Accessed 24 Mar. 2018. "Pocahontas Saves John Smith: 1607." Global Events: Milestone Events Throughout History, edited by Jennifer Stock, vol. 6: North America, Gale, 2014. U.S. History in Context. Accessed 24 Mar. 2018. Roark, James L., et al. The American Promise: A Concise History. Bedford/St. Martin's, Macmillian Learning, 2017. Vergano, Dan. "From the skull of Jamestown's 'Jane,' gruesome cannibal clues." USA Today, 2 May 2013, p. 01A. U.S. History in Context, http://link.galegroup.com.libproxy.ocean.edu:2048/apps/doc/A328450861/UHIC?u=toms 86543&xid=e90174fb. Accessed 24 Mar. 2018.
Thus, Smith was a very proud and boastful man. Before reaching 25, he battled in many areas, such as the Netherlands and Hungary. He fought at sea off the Atlantic coast, where he was captured as a slave. As a slave, he was rough and beaten. The Indians that captured him brought him to their leader named Powhatan. Powhatan didn’t like him, so he threatened him to death and began to plan his death. Powhatan’s daughter, Pocahontas, fell in love with Smith and gained her fathers trust. He soon became Powhatan’s son. Burned severely in a gunpowder explosion, Smith was sent back to England for recovery. He returns to America in 5 years, only this time to New England.
To many of the English colonists, any land that was granted to them in a charter by the English Crown was theirs’, with no consideration for the natives that had already owned the land. This belittlement of Indians caused great problems for the English later on, for the natives did not care about what the Crown granted the colonists for it was not theirs’ to grant in the first place. The theory of European superiority over the Native Americans caused for any differences in the way the cultures interacted, as well as amazing social unrest between the two cultures.
The main plot of the film focuses on the relationship between John Smith, Pocahontas and John Rolfe. The film was a romantic film and had a lot of romantic scenes that were probably not portrayed in actual historical events. For example, the two main characters in the film were of course John Smith and Pocahontas, and there were many scenes in the movie that implied their romantic relationship. Scenes, such as when the two are connecting with one another, spending time together and learning about each other mostly through touch and sign language, after Pocahontas had saved John Smith from execution. In these few scenes each character narrates and discusses their idea on love and expressing their feelings on one another. Although, entertaining, John Smith and Pocahontas weren’t actually romantically involved with each other as the film portrays in these few scenes. It is uncertain what the relationship John Smith and Pocahontas actually had. Most likely, it was a beneficial relationship between the two, since there was a lot of trading between the Native American tribes and the colonists. (Read, 2005)
...h and the French and Indians, but shows some of the ironic nature of this conflict: that due to kidnapping and tribal adoption, some Abenaki Indians were likely to have almost as many English ancestors as the frontiersmen they opposed. The English frontiersmen could be as "savage" as the Indians. Brumwell does very well dispelling the clichés and stereotypes that many have become accustomed to. He uses records of the Abenaki Indian oral tradition to give a voice to both sides. It is a great book from start to finish. This is a true history buffs companion and a great addition to any library. The book is as complex in its knowledge as it is simplistic and detailed in its imagery. As a result, this book can be read by both specialists and general readers alike and can be pared with almost any text giving light to the French and Indian War or the aftermath thereof.
In Thomas King’s novel, The Inconvenient Indian, the story of North America’s history is discussed from his original viewpoint and perspective. In his first chapter, “Forgetting Columbus,” he voices his opinion about how he feel towards the way white people have told America’s history and portraying it as an adventurous tale of triumph, strength and freedom. King hunts down the evidence needed to reveal more facts on the controversial relationship between the whites and natives and how it has affected the culture of Americans. Mainly untangling the confusion between the idea of Native Americans being savages and whites constantly reigning in glory. He exposes the truth about how Native Americans were treated and how their actual stories were
The process of assimilation, as it regards to the Native Americans, into European American society took a dreaded and long nearly 300 years. Initially, when the European’s came to the hopeful and promising land of the “New World”, they had no desire or reason anything but minimal contact with the Indians. However, starting in the 1700s the European colonists population skyrocketed. The need for more resources became evident and the colonists knew they could attain these necessities by creating a relationship of mutual benefit with the Native tribes. The Indians, at first skeptical, however became growingly open to the colonists and the relationship they were looking to attain. Indian furs were traded for colonial goods and military alliances were formed.
Disney movie “Pocahontas” and John Smiths “The General History of Virginia” there were many differences, other than things someone could compare. The two versions had different thoughts and views on the accounts of Pocahontas, the Native Americans, and John Smith. The way Disney portrayed Pocahontas had more of a view of mending enemies, compromises being made between two parties, and that there is more to life than materialistic things. On the other hand, John Smith’s account of what happened was way different than Disney’s version of what happened. For example, John Smith describes his journey to Virginia as a long journey, filled with Hunger, with a majority of the people who attended the voyage with john smith ended up dying. At the end, with him and others being captured by Native Americans who reside on that land. Although, no one knows the actual events that took place during this time.
The Cherokees lived in the valleys of rivers that drained the southern Appalachians (Perdue, 1). The British first came into Cherokee country in 1700. They came for two major reasons: deerskins and war captives. They brought guns and ammunition, metal knives, hoes, hatchets, fabrics, kettles, rum, and trinkets. They took the Cherokee and made them slaves. The British built two forts to protect the Cherokees while they were fighting the enemies of the British. The Cherokees entered the French and Indian War on the side of the British (Perdue, 6). Attacks on Cherokees by white frontiersmen and duplicity by colonial officials caused the Cherokees to shift their allegiance to the French. During the war, the British destroyed many Cherokee towns.
After examining the sources, I strongly believe that Pocahontas did not save John Smith from the urgent, deadly circumstance that legends speak of. Although history textbooks such as The Americans: A History write that Pocahontas “rescued Smith when he was captured”, it refers to her rescue as a legend. While some legends may be exaggerated versions of partial truths, many are purely just stories. Although Pocahontas may have “saved” John Smith from a less dire circumstance, the odds of her rescuing him from a desperate, violent capture is probably not true. Furthermore, Smith did not mention any threat or capture in his book written a year after the “actual” event. However, in order to gain more fame and money, he included an epic, detailed description of her rescue in the Generall Historie of Virginia. If Pocahontas truly tried to “save him from death” (Smith), John Smith would’ve had to mention her rescue in his first book.
Three points in particular boldly stress the orderly departure of the colonists to live with the Indians. First, the colonists had a close relationship with the Croatoan Indians. This relationship resulted from John White’s acquaintance with a scout named Manteo. One prominent historian says that Manteo and his tribe, the Croatoan tribe, were the only Indians who remained friendly towards the colonists, and as directed by one of their leaders, “the English baptized ‘our savage Manteo’ and declared him lord of R...
The movie starts by showing the Indians as “bad” when Johnson finds a note of another mountain man who has “savagely” been killed by the Indians. This view changes as the movie points out tribes instead of Indians as just one group. Some of the tribes are shown dangerous and not to be messed with while others are friendly, still each tribe treats Johnson as “outsider.” Indians are not portrayed as greater than “...
English Views In the seventeenth century, the English and many other Eastern countries came to the “new land” for a vast amount of reasons. Many of these foreigners came for religious freedom, some to seek fortune, and others were convicts being deported. However, for those who came across the sea, there was one thing they were not planning to have conflict with when they arrived. The natives, or as the English called them “savages”, which were a distinction on how some viewed these natives, had made this land their home long before settlers came exploring.
The General History of Virginia, New England, and the Summer Isles by John Smith, portrays the enormous troubles the settlers were faced with by the Native Americans. He explains how he was captured by Indians and also saved by a young Native American girl, Pocahontas. He vividly describes the ceremonies and rituals of the Natives performed before his execution. However, the execution never occurred due to the tremendous mercy showed by the king’s daughter who blanketed John Smith’s body her own. Pocahontas went on to persuade the Native Americans to help the settlers by giving them food and other necessities. Despite her efforts to reach peaceful grounds, her people were still bitter and planned an attacks on the colony. Nevertheless, Pocahontas saved them once again by warning the settlers of attacks. Pocahontas went on to marry an Englishman and traveled to England. She resembled the prosperity and good that was to be found in an untamed land.
The essence of Pocahontas’ history is debatable, with very few documented facts. Pocahontas lived over four hundred years ago, and the known facts may also be manipulated. The story John Smith recounted of his own ordeal may have been altered to suit his own needs. The truth of the story may not be the facts given of the story. The essence of Pocahontas’ legend is really what is argued. Some may object to Disney’s version of the tale; however, it is Disney’s version to tell.
They were having marriages among them. For example, when Pocahontas married John Rolfe, many said it had a political implication to unite more settlers with the Indians to have a better relationship between both groups. As for the Indians, their attitude was always friendly and full of curiosity when they saw the strange and light-skinned creatures from beyond the ocean. The colonists only survived with the help of the Indians when they first settled in Jamestown and Plymouth. In these areas, the Indians showed the colonists how to cultivate crops and gather seafood.