King James I granted a charter to the Virginia Company In June of 1606, to establish an English settlement in the Chesapeake region. By December, 108 settlers sailed from London instructed to settle Virginia, find gold and a water route to the Orient. The Virginia Company landed on Jamestown Island On May 14, 1607, and almost immediately were under attack from the on-again off-again enemy, the Algonquians which caused then to build a wooden fort.

Many of the "Gentle Men" were ill equipped to deal with disease, famine and the uneasy cycles of attacks and trade with the neighboring Algonquians. Amazingly the leadership of Captain John Smith kept the colony from dissolving. After John Smith left in 1609 The "starving time" occurred that winter in with only 60 of the original 214 settlers survived. If it were not for Pocahontas and for no other reason, Jamestown would have become a Lost Colony. Later with the wedding of Pocahontas, the favored daughter of the Algonquian chief Powhatan, to tobacco entrepreneur John Rolfe they lived in peace until Pocahontas died while on trip to see the queen of England. The Algonquians (in 1622), attacked the out plantations killing over 300 of the settlers.

Pocahontas was an Indian princess, the daughter of Powhatan, the powerful chief of the Algonquian Indians. Pocahontas was born around 1595 to one of Powhatan's many wives. Her name is Matoaka, though she is better known as Pocahontas, which means "Little Wanton," playful, frolicsome little girl.

Pocahontas probably saw the first white men in May 1607 when English landed at Jamestown. She especially liked Captain John Smith.

The legendary story of the first meeting of Pocahontas and John Smith is a romanticized (if not entirely invented) by Smith. Smith was leading an expedition in December 1607 when he was taken captive by Indians and later brought to Powhatan at Werowocomoco. Smith says; he was first welcomed by the great chief and offered a feast forced to stretch out on two large, flat stones with Indians over him with clubs as though ready to beat him to death. Suddenly a little Indian girl rushed in and took Smith's "head in her arms and laid her own upon his to save him from death." The girl, Pocahontas, then pulled him to his feet.

Powhatan said that they were now friends, and he adopted Smith as his son. This mock "execution and salvation" ceremony was traditional with the Indians, and if Smith's story is true, Pocahontas' actions were probably one part of a ritual. Anyway Pocahontas and Smith soon became friends.

Relations continued to be generally friendly for the next year, and Pocahontas often went Jamestown to delivered messages from her father and accompanied Indians bringing food and furs to trade for hatchets and trinkets. She was a lively young girl, and when the young boys of the colony turned cartwheels, "she would follow and wheel some herself, naked as she was all over the fort.

Pocahontas apparently married an Indian named Kocoum in 1610.

Chief Powhatan was the supreme ruler, Chief of the 32 tribe Powatan Confederacy which were well organized and a thriving agricultural and fishing nation located around the Chesapeake Bay where the Virginia Company landed. Chief Powhatan was about 60, tall well proportioned with slightly gray hair, when the colonists arrived.

Chief Powhatan was a Leader, wise as the Great Spirit, Greatly respected What he commanded, none dare disobey. When Chief Powhatan spoke, brave men trembled. Chief Powhatan had many wives and many children. Pocahontas was his favorite. for she had the soul of the Great Chief. He died in April 1618.

John Smith born about 1579 in Willoughby, Lincolnshire where he worked on his father's farm and later left to became a soldier. His military adventures led him through Europe. In Hungary fought Turks who captured Smith In 1601 and sold him into slavery, later escaped. About 1604 Smith had returned to England, to became a member of the London Company's colony Council. In December 1606, they set sail for America and established Jamestown in May 1607. During the voyage Smith was accused of conspiracy, but the charges were dropped.

There is no doubt that John Smith was a good leader but Smith is also known for embellishing his stories with boasts and conceit. Life was hard in the early days. The colonists suffering from famine, disease, and attacks by the Native Americans. In December 1607 George Kendall, the leader, of Jamestown, was shot for mutiny and Smith was chosen president of the colony in 1608. Smith's strict leadership resulted in uneasy relations with some of the colonizers, but he did what he had to do.

John Smith organized trade with the Native Americans and led expeditions to map the region. On one of these he was captured by the Native American chief Powhatan, according to his account in a book he published in 1624, he was saved from being put to death by the chief's daughter, Pocahontas. While this story became part of American folklore, most historians believe Smith made it later when Pocahontas was at the height of her popularity and his was waning.

Smith was president of the Jamestown colony from 1608 to 1609, than returned to England after being badly burned while playing with gun powder. Than in 1614 he led an expedition that explored and mapped the coast of what he named "New England". He returned to England with valuable furs and fish. Towards the end of his life, John smith did a lot of writing and Died in 1631.

Chief Powhatan orders the massacre of 60 settlers visiting Werowocomoco in Autumn 1609 and Pocahontas is sent to live with the Patawomeke tribe. Pocahontas is kidnapped by Captain Samuel Argall about Spring of 1613 Argall told Powhatan that he would return his beloved daughter when the chief returned the English prisoners he held. At this time while still captive, Pocahontas is given instructions in Christianity and is baptized by Protestant minister Alexander Whitaker, christened Rebecca, and later, with the blessings of both the governor and her father, Pocahontas marries John Rolfe on April 5, 1614.

Eight years of peace between the Native Americans and the English existed after the marriage. In 1615 Pocahontas had her first child, Thomas Rolfe.

Spring 1616 She sails to London on a fund-raising efforts for a Christian school for English and Indian children. Pocahontas' (and about a dozen Algonquian Indians) arrival in London was well publicized, she was presented to King James I, the Queen, royal family, and the best of London society and was received with royal honor. Pocahontas dazzled the court and met Captain John Smith, the old friend she had not seen for eight years and whom she believed was dead. By this time Pocahontas was of aware Smith's "Exaggerations" this was their last meeting.

On the eve of her return to Virginia, March 1617 Pocahontas dies in Gravesend, England, from a respiratory ailment. Pocahontas was buried in the chapel of the parish church in Gravesend, England. She was 22 years old.

Seven months later John Rolfe decided to return his family to Virginia and set sail March 1617, Her son Thomas, was educated in England, but returned to Virginia and became an important settler; many prominent Virginians claim to be his descendants.

John Rolfe was a tobacco farmer in the Jamestown which became the economic basis for the colony. He was known as smoker importing tobacco seeds about 1610 or 1611 crossed the imported breed with the indigenous tobacco to produce a plant well adapted to the soil with a pleasant taste which caused him to be though as the father of the tobacco industry so Virginia had something to sell.

More importantly, John Rolfe married Pocahontas which brought peace to the area. He died early in 1622 and was survived by his and Pocahontas's son, Thomas Rolfe Many important people in Virginia can proudly trace their family to Pocahontas.