Pocahontas
Content Warning : the following clause contains discussion of sexual violence
Disney’sPocahontasis wedge - full of memorable euphony and beautifully animated sequences , but the existent story of the Indigenous woman is vastly different from what the film depicts . The animated Disney classics of the early ' 90s featured a string of song and dance ripped from their ghastly origin and sandpaper down of their less - mouth-watering aspect to become bright iconic recreations of family - favorable animise adventures with a catchy soundtrack to kicking . However , 1995’sPocahontasstood out because , unlike Ariel or Belle , she was a real historic figure . Though , like all the other source fabric used during Disney ’s animation renaissance , her story was shift for a younger audience .
What ’s worse is that Pocahontas ' real write up was n’t just altered so that it could be enjoy by a untested crowd . It was changed so drastically that the two figures are rightfully only similar in name — and Disney did n’t quite get even that rightfield . There are plenty ofdifferences between thePocahontasmovie and her real - life story , and while some of them may seem harmless , the warping of her tale to erase culpability for white settlers ' treatment of Indigenous people is inherently harmful . While Disney tried to compensate a few historical wrongs withPocahontas II : Journey to a New World , the scathe had been done .
The Real Pocahontas Was Much Younger When She Met John Smith
While Pocahontas ' years is n’t ever mentioned inPocahontas , it can be estimated that she was around 18 age old when she met John Smith in the animated picture . In real life , Pocahontas , or Amonute , would ’ve been just about between 10 and 12 year previous upon Smith ’s arrival into what would afterwards be known as Virginia . Since Pocahontas ' true birth year is unknown , her age has been surmised from the writings of John Smith in various letter and his account , A True Relation of Virginia . InA True Relation of Virginia , Smith describes encounter her in the give of 1608 and claims she is around 10 yr sometime .
Smith recounts his meeting with Pocahontas in a letter eight years later , though this time , he describes the Indigenous fair sex as 12 or 13 at the time . Regardless , Disney adjudicate to age Pocahontas up drastically for their film . While an explanation for this pick has n’t been freely given , it ’s obvious that the studio wanteda typical Prince Charming for their Disney princessand could n’t have the older John Smith wooing a historically precise Pocahontas . Knowing that Pocahontas was so new when she allegedly save Smith ’s aliveness and made contact with the Jamestown settler brings an entirely unlike twist to her story , making her braver .
Pocahontas & John Smith Never Had A Romantic Relationship
InPocahontas , the Disney princess ' one lawful love life is colonist John Smith . However , he and Pocahontas did n’t have a romantic kinship in real biography . Instead , the two were reportedly friendly . harmonize to Smith , Pocahontas saved his life after he was take prisoner by her father , the chief of the Powhatan kin group , by throwing herself over his body as he was about to be bludgeon by a Isidor Feinstein Stone . Some have disputed Smith ’s story , allege that he might not have understand the actual context of what was happening and that it may have simply been a ceremonial occasion . Regardless , Pocahontas became a frequent visitor to Jamestown and was very friendly with Smith .
Pocahontas and John Smith may have been friends but never had a romantic relationship . Pocahontas married a Virginia settler named John Rolfe in 1614 when she was around 18 years old . strangely enough , Disney endeavor to correct their John Smith / John Rolfe misidentify withthe Disney princess sequelPocahontas II . In it , Pocahontas presumes that John Smith has fail thanks to a well - birl lie by Governor Ratcliffe , and John Rolfe is sent to bring the Powhatan chief to England for dialogue . Pocahontas go in his stead and the two fall in love life . In real life , Rolfe was just a colonist who strike in love with Pocahontas .
Pocahontas Was Thought To Have Married Kocoum
Before Pocahontas marry John Rolfe in 1914 , it ’s remember she married Kocoum first . Kocoum does , in fact , lineament inPocahontas . In the Disney movie , Pocahontas instantaneously fear being wed to Powhatan warrior Kocoum as she feels that he ’s much too grim and serious to treat her independent nature . His graphic symbol have ill treatment throughout the film . He becomes understandably jealous and upset when told of Pocahontas and John Smith ’s secret passion affair . However , when things intensify between him and Smith , another settler kills Kocoum , which sparks a war between the English and the Powhatan .
concern : Pocahontas Honest Trailer Slams Historically Inaccurate Disney Movie
Kocoum was a real - life history Powhatan warrior and is believe to be the original husband of Pocahontas before she married John Rolfe . The younger brother of Chief Japazaw of the Potowomac tribe , he and Pocahontas travel to his home village , where she gave birth to her first boy . alas , colonizers had other plan for Pocahontas , which see Kocoum murdered , according toThe True Story of Pocahontas , The Other Side of Historyby Dr. Linwood Custalow and Angela L. Daniel . Because Kocoum ’s man and wife to Pocahontas was n’t considered a Christian union , the English had no problem marrying her to John Rolfe .
English Colonizers Kidnapped & Abused Indigenous Women (Including Pocahontas)
One of the most harrowing aspects of Pocahontas ' tangible story , along with the tale of many Indigenous women , is that she was captured and abused by English colonizers . Pocahontassees the Powhatan kin group and the settlers at betting odds over the use of the nation , but she and John Smith are finally able to bring peace and concord to Colonizer - Indigenous people relation . In reality , it ’s arguably violative how much Disney omitted about the true brutality of relations between English colonizers and endemic hoi polloi at the time . Many autochthonic fair sex were nobble and abuse mentally , sexually , and physically by colonists , and Pocahontas was one of them .
While she was married to Kocoum and live near the Potomac River with her husband and Word , Captain Samuel Argall of Jamestown seek to kidnap her and use her as a surety for negotiations with the Powhatan . He somehow convince Chief Japazaw to have him lure Pocahontas onto his ship and had Kocoum mangle before it set canvass . Some accounts state that Argall imperil to attack the village if he could n’t take her . Others lay claim that he had lied and aver she would be returned . allot to Custalow and Daniel ’s book , Pocahontas became so withdrawn during her captivity that settlers were dire she would take her own life .
Pocahontas' Name Was Changed To Rebecca Before She Married John Rolfe
In Disney ’s continued attempt to romanticize the story of a tragic figure who was one of many victims of colonizers , another detail that was drop was Pocahontas ' " rebranding " into an English woman . The invigorate flick see Pocahontas retain her cultural roots while shacking up with the ashen colonist John Smith . Similarly , the more " historically accurate " sequel look Pocahontas sailing off into the sunset with John Rolfe , set up to endure their new life story in Jamestown . In genuine lifetime , Pocahontas was kidnapped and held hostage for years . Whether bear Rolfe ’s proposal over a yr into her enslavement was the result of Stockholm syndrome or true sexual love is up to debate .
During her captivity , Pocahontas was converted to Christianity and baptise under the name Rebecca . This is not shown or verbalise about inDisney’sPocahontastalesand speaks to a sinister goal for colonists . Pocahontas was not reserve to survive in white club as she was . All because she decided to turn over out to the colonist in benignity as a child , she was forcibly taken from her husband and child with her husband being murdered , pull into immurement for over a year , coerced into a new marriage , and give a fresh name and system of beliefs . Pocahontas was stripped of her identicalness and culture , and Disney omitted this entirely .
Pocahontas Died By The Age Of 21
Since Pocahontas is n’t the free - zippy and happy - go - favorable woman draw in the animate picture show and , instead , live a voiceless life in which she was kidnapped , abused , used as a pawn , and deny her culture and identity , it makes sentience that she would die an early last . Pocahontas was only 21 when she overstep away , about three old age after hook up with John Rolfe . As the story goes , she and Rolfe were in England in March 1617 and planned to sail back to Jamestown . However , they only made it as far as Gravesend on the River Thames before Pocahontas became ill .
She drop dead not long after being taken ashore , a key detail thatPocahontas II : Journey to a New Worldomits . While her cause of dying was never determined , historians believe it could ’ve been smallpox , pneumonia , tuberculosis , or haemorrhagic dysentery . Other horrors from her history could ’ve contribute to her early destruction . Custalow and Daniel ’s book states that Mattaponi ’s sacred unwritten history is steadfast on the fact that Pocahontas was raped in captivity , and Thomas was born out of matrimony . There ’s no question that Disney’sPocahontasis such a far cry from her real story that the only matter connect the two figures is their shared name .
