The beautiful Native American princess Matoaka (Pocahontas) was the favorite daughter of the Algonquian Indian Chief, Powhatan, Born about 1595, died March 17, 1617. "Pocahontas" was a nickname meaning "playful" or "mischievous one" Pocahontas is famous for saving the life of John Smith and the Jamestown colony which would have perished were it not for Pocahontas. Yes, Pocahontas was something else!

The colonists first met her when she was about 13. Chief Powhatan had sent her to Jamestown to establish peace and ask for the release of the Native American who were held in the fort.

Pocahontas met Captain John Smith about 1608 and Pocahontas was fascinated by his stories of his adventures. John Smith loved the admiration and was not above embellishing his stories if it supported his delusions of grandeur. Pocahontas and Captain John Smith became good friends and Pocahontas was sad when John Smith was sent back to England. Smith had been playing with explosives and was badly burned but Pocahontas thought he had died.

Later Pocahontas met tobacco farmer John Rolfe, who fell in love with her. Pocahontas even converted to Christianity. Pocahontas was baptized by Protestant minister Alexander Whitaker into the Anglican church, christened Rebecca, and later married John Rolfe on April 5, 1614. Pocahontas and John Rolfe had one son, Thomas, who eventually returned from England and established his family in Virginia.
This marriage helped establish peace between the Native Americans and colonists for eight years.

In 1616 they sailed to England where Pocahontas was presented to the English court. Before they could return to Virginia, Pocahontas fell ill and died at Gravesend, on March 21, 1617. Her untimely death in England hurt the chance for continued peace in Virginia between the Algonquians and the colonists Throughout her short life (she died at the age of 22), she made a Large mark in history, the world would not have been the same with out Pocahontas, her decedents still exist.