...e environment and atmosphere of the first colonies to settle in the new world was widely dissimilar, and some found success while others suffered harsh conditions. Virginia as labeled by Captain John Smith would fall into the last category. The colony of Jamestown came to the New World seeking land, assets and commerce, and settled in a coastal area, which did not provide the freshest water and proved to be abundant with disease. Jamestown was the first English settlement in America (1607). It had a stiff time at first and did not thrive until the colonists received their own land and the tobacco industry began flourishing due to Mr. Rolfe, the settlement took root. People continued to arrive and new settlements arose. As we can see with the article entitled “The Starving Times,” Jamestown suffered significantly when John Smith, their greatest capable leader, returned to England. Smith even records that he heard of a wife being murdered and cannibalized because of lack of food. This colony did eventually find some strength when it began to harvest tobacco, rice and indigo. Lord Baltimore received land from King Charles I to create a sanctuary for Catholics. His son, the second Lord Baltimore, personally possessed all the land and could use or sell it as he wished. In 1649, the Toleration Act was approved allowing all Christians to worship as they pleased. Maryland seemed to find more success in the New World thanks to its harvesting of tobacco, furs and flesh. Adjudicating by...
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...160 Ethnic Symbolism in Pocahontas In Walt Disney’s Pocahontas (1955), the adventures of a young Native Virginia Indian woman in her early twenties are portrayed as she roams the forest to search for what the meaning to her life truly is. She is a free spirit who lives with the nature of the world around her and is very attached to its beauty. Once the Englishmen invade the Indians’ territory in search of new land to conquer, things begin to change. There is a shift of tone from innocence to savagery as they come looking for gold and are willing to do anything to get their hands on it. Through this clash of two different civilizations, the filmmakers adequately display the mixing of two opposing peoples and how their relationship ultimately affects the outcome of their situations. Early in the film, Pocahontas is very lonely and often spends most of her time away from her village. When she first meets John Smith, she doesn’t approach him directly, but instead, her raccoon meeko sneaks up to Smith and eats a cookie from him. This is a common way of introducing two characters because there is often anther person or object that will initiate the conversation or make the first move. It also indicates that the Indians are modest and unaware of what is about to happen to them. When John Smith meets Pocahontas, he is at first as prejudice as all the other men and ignorant to the Powhatan tribe as being a friendly people. Nonetheless after Pocahontas shows him the land and convinces...
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...Women, Families, and Communities Chapter Review Chapter 1- Jamestown: Pocahontas, Powhatan, and the Struggles for Virginia When you here the name Pocahontas they think of the movie but she was real and she was a symbol of peaceful co-existence of American Indians and European settlers in North America. Powhatan was a powerful chief who ruled thirteen thousand Indians. In December 1607 some of the warriors captured three men and that is where you meet John Smith. He was about to be executed but at last minute Pocahontas rush out and saved him. They say that she was only about ten years old when she saved him. Powhatan was the one who sent her to rescue him as a gesture of mercy because women traditionally had the right to determine the fate of captives. Camilla Townsend follows Pocahontas and Powhatan on their negotiation with John Smith and the English Settlers. She tries to capture moments like when the English still had only a loose hold in America. She also reveals the role that the Indian women played. She eventually married John Rolfe who took her to England for their honeymoon in 1617 where she caught a fever and died. Rolfe returned and became a leader in development of tobacco in to a cash crop. He also transformed the lives of both Indian and English men and women for generations to come. Camilla Townsend wrote about the trading that went on between the Indians and the English and also making promises to each other about weapons. Then later on some of the...
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...Pocahontas and the Powhatan Dilemma This fascinating book is a true story that gives us details about the life of Pocahontas and the events that took place during that period. It also helps to distinguish important facts from mythology bordering this amazing yet vibrant woman. Pocahontas, the daughter of the chief Powhatan was able to cross the boundary between the English invaders and the Native American culture. Her life’s history tells us just as much about this strong woman as it does about the two tribes she lived in. John Smith’s rescue from Pocahontas still arise questions and has a lot of misinformation. In this book Camilla does not tell put the misinformation to rest, but she succeeds in a rescue of her own; namely that of the Indian girl from the hands of the other character Pocahontas. This story aims to recall the humanity that the myth of the Pocahontas stole from the real Indian girl. Camilla argues that the Algonquian girl was overthrown into the mythical Pocahontas to assist the needs of the settlers and supporters of Jamestown journey as well as interested spectators within the government and general community of England. Since that time, the love poets, advocates of American exceptionalism, and Hollywood tycoons have continued to twist the reality that the real Pocahontas is no longer in existence. According to Camilla, she “was as brave as all her people – but a real and complicated woman with her own plans, goals and ideas. After the affirmation of this...
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...Puritan and Powhatan Dilemmas In the story of John Winthrop by Edmund Morgan and Pocahontas by Camilla Townsend, the word dilemma is thrust at the center and is the driving force for these biographies. Using the word dilemma suggests there is a conflict and one must make decisions and/or choose a particular side. This most certainly is the case for both John Winthrop’s Puritans and Powhatan. Edmund Morgan uses the title The Puritan Dilemma because the whole idea of the Puritans establishing themselves in America is itself a dilemma. Dilemma is used in Camilla Townsend’s title Pocahontas and the Powhatan Dilemma because the situation that Pocahontas’s people, the Powhatan, are forced into is very much so a dilemma. The word was chosen with a purpose and the reasons for why both authors use dilemma in their biography titles is explored individually and then compared. The dilemma of John Winthrop and the Puritans is depicted throughout the biography. It is clear that the dilemma they faced was surrounded by their religious views. Winthrop and the Puritans embraced religion so much as to move to New England and create the “kind of society that God demanded of all His servants but that none had yet given Him (Morgan, 42).” Morgan puts a lot of effort to show the reader that the Puritan view of religion was plagued with the idea and question of what responsibility does a religious person owe to society. Morgan argues that this question and dilemma that Winthrop and the...
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...The Struggles of Jamestown On May 14, 1607 three ships sailed for the new colony known as Jamestown Virginia. The boats were packed with one hundred and four men and boys who left England on a cold December day. King James I had granted the Virginia Company its first charter which stated the right to establish colonies in Virginia. Any Englishmen that wanted to had the rights as colonists in the new settlement. The King had his eyes on Gold ore that had been found there by the Spanish and looked at this opportunity as an economic one for England. Little did they all know about the hardships that they would encounter in “the new world”. Life at Jamestown is the story of brave people with a fierce determination to survive which laid the foundation for our country today. The first mistake the colonists made was the location. The goal was to find a place on a river so the colonists could search for a northwest passage, and that would be a key defensive position in case of attacks from the Natives and Spanish. The Location of Jamestown was in a swampy area and was isolated from most game which needed more space to inhabit. Almost all game on the tiny peninsula was killed and hunted immediately which left the settlers with little to eat. Not only was the location bad for hunting but the low, surrounding land was marshy and filled with mosquitos which carried and led to several diseases. Along with little food, and disease filled bugs, the river that Jamestown was located by...
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...use the parts that they needed, and throw out the rest. By that time the Europeans were very high in knowledge and technology, and only some Native American groups in the North had the same tools as the Europeans had. The settlers had guns and metal tools that made life a bit easier. Oh, a bit about the lands that the Native Americans and new settlers shared, the native Americans protected their land, they didn’t cut down many trees. For, their religion taught them to care for nature and they might have a better afterlife. Whereas the Europeans of Jamestown; they had religions of Christianity but they didn’t practice their faith (in my eyes) towards nature and the Native Americans. Pocahontas: We all know the Disney version of what happened to Pocahontas… But what really happened??? ‘Pocahontas’ was her childhood nickname and it’s translated to ‘little wanton’ meaning she was playful and outgoing and hard to control. When she was born she had stayed with her mother, until she was of school age did she go to live with her father. When she was about 10 she heard of this colony. She went to visit and brought plenty of food with her. But when she heard of John Smith being dead, she stopped visiting them with food… That time was known as the starving time… But the fact of the matter was that John wasn’t dead, his leg was just badly burned in a gunpowder explosion so he had been taken back to England for recovery. Several years had past with no sign of her… Ralph Hamor had heard...
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...John Rolfe (1585 - 1622) was a member of a group of settlers who journeyed to Jamestown in 1609. Rolfe’s infant daughter died on the journey to Virginia. His wife died shortly after arriving at the colony. Rolfe served as recorder for the colony from 1614 to 1619. He married Princess Pocahontas, the daughter of the Native American chief Powhatan, in 1614, and they had one son, Thomas Rolfe. In 1616, John Rolfe returned to England with his wife Pocahontas. Rolfe returned to Jamestown after Pocahontas’ death on March 21, 1617. Rolfe became a landowner and married Jane Peirce before his death in 1622. Jamestown Settlement, 1607-1625 In 1606, the London Company received a royal charter from King James I to organize an expedition and establish colonies in North America. The Plymouth Company would establish the short-lived colony in Maine (see AJ-042). The Virginia Company set up England’s first permanent colony in Jamestown, Virginia. Their primary goal was profit; investors hoped settlers would find valuable natural resources, such as lumber, herbs, pitch, and even gold, to send back to England. However, the English government also wanted to resist the Spanish colonization of North America (see AJ-077 for the report of a Spaniard on the Jamestown colony.) One hundred and four men and boys came ashore in May 1607-no women arrived until the following year. Over the next three years almost eight hundred settlers would arrive to colonize the Virginia coasts-six hundred of them...
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...hopes which was denied to them in the Old World. Europeans writers wrote an enormous amount of documents about America aimed during the early periods of settlement. Europeans composed portrayals of the nation, its abundant vegetation and aquatic life. They also “wrote of trading with the Indians” as numerous tribes established a peaceful exchange relation with the new settlers during the early phases of European settlement (Perkins 4). John Smith composed for future settlers when settlement started to grow. He also drew the maps for those settlers and gave them dreams that made them come to America even more. What created the drive for new settlers to come to America even more, was his adventure as “he told the story of his rescue by Pocahontas” (Smith 31). Through these stories, the readers could see the issues of Virginias settlement and throughout his letters he would make promises of a great future for New England, as he said “I would rather live here than anywhere” (Smith 31). Of the considerable number of colonies, the Middle Colonies appreciated the best geographical area, as stated “the easiest access to the great inland waterways and stored natural resources of the continent, and the finest balance of...
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...Intermarriage Pocahontas was the age of eleven when she met John Smith.Though,in the film she is of the age of fourteen years old,the relationship between John Smith and Pocahontas was portrayed in accuracy as there was a a strong bond between them in real life.However,the true fact is that they were not real lovers.It is stated that they had love for each other,but Pocahontas was not in love with him as much as he was in love with her.She eventually married a man named John Rolfe,who was the pioneer of English tobacco cultivation in Virginia.By them intermarrying it helped to make an alliance between the English and the Powhatan nation.Intermarriage back then was a legitimate stragtey that was used to obtain Indian lands.White men would intermarry with Indian daughters so they could allow for certain lands to be passed down...
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...In Fort Hall we came across some “Snake Indians”, it was 2 women. They were wearing long deerskin dresses with wide sleeves and decorated with porcupine quills and beadwork, and wore moccasins on their feet. There was a man there that was willing to translate what they were saying to us in English from their Shoshone language. From the way the man was telling us, the Shoshone women really liked us, and one of the most important things in their culture is storytelling. They told us one of their legends which was called “the origin of death”. It was really fascinating knowing how they think. The Shoshones hunted for game, like rabbits, fish, and birds. They are not a coastal tribe, and live in roofless grass huts, and they do not follow their...
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...John Smith is most remembered as the Jamestown colonist whose life was spared by Chief Powhatan’s daughter, Pocahontas. The term “New England” can also be attributed to John Smith, or his levelling “no work no eat” policy. However, before Jamestown, Smith was a soldier, a pirate, a captain, a slave, and a murderer. John Smith was born to a successful farmer in Willoughby, England, in the year 1580. In an attempt to quell Smith’s desire to run away, his father put him in an apprenticeship, which Smith left as soon as his father died in 1596. From there he became an English mercenary. While abroad in France, Smith began reading renowned writers such as Marcus Aurelius and Machiavelli in an effort to sophisticate himself culturally and militarily. On his way to sign up for the Austrian army to fight against the Turks, he was shipwrecked on an island off the coast of France. There he was found by a Captain La Roche, whose...
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...The early settlers of Jamestown had arrived in the settlement with the thought that the region would bring much promise and glory to their lives they had left behind in Great Britain. Contrastingly, they received the complete opposite of what they intended, where a mass amount of tragedies occurred amongst their population. Many historians say that the reasons for the mass amount deaths in Jamestown was primarily due to the spread of disease, environmental or natural disasters, or Native-Americans. The predominant reason why many settlers died in Jamestown was due to the numerous confrontations and attacks amongst the settlers and neighboring Native-American tribes. According to Document E: Chronology of English Mortality in Virginia, 1607-1610,...
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...John Smith's Take On The New World John Smith's description of 17th century Virginia is a flattering, vivid recount of prosperous lands, abundant forests, and fertile soils. He writes that both the Virginian climate and geography are exemplary for a profitable colony, with conveniently placed rivers, bays, and a healthy climate for farm animals. The natives are knowledgeable, but weak and docile. The picture Smith paints is an ingratiating one; he writes that he has found a paradise in the New World. The first description of Jamestown and the Virginian territory surrounding it is a passage praising the fertility and habitability of the lands; he relays that Virginia possesses ideal conditions to support an English colony. Smith states, "The mildness of the air, the fertility of the soil, and the situation of the rivers are so propitious to the nature and use of man as no place is more convenient for pleasure, profit, and man's sustenance" (18). In this quote he expresses content with the Arcadia he says he has found. He then elaborates, "Under that latitude or climate, here will live any beast, as horses, goats, sheep, asses, hens etc." (18). In this simple sentence, he proudly evaluates that the earth and weather in Virginia is for ideal planting crops and raising animals and that, because of this, Jamestown could live in naturally provided comfort. Moreover, he goes on to further describe the geographical benefits, conveying , "The waters, islands, and shoals are full of...
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...Unit 1 Primary Sources Document 1.3 Chief Powhatan’s Deerskin Cloak Identify: On this cloak, all the objects are made of shells, which is thought valuable by the Pamunkey people. Included on the cloak are circles that most likely symbolize regions controlled by Powhatan. In the middle of the cloak is a person that most likely is Chief Powhatan and animals surrounding it that probably symbolize deer. Analyze: Because, they had shells, it meant they had lived near a body of water. Also there were deer nearby because the cloak was made of this. Evaluate: Being in the middle, it shows his importance and people could perceive that Powhatan could take over the colony because they control so many regions. This could make the European colonists uneasy. Document 1.4 Journal Identify: Columbus focuses on the Native’s hair, skin color and paint they have on themselves, along with the weaponry and ignorance they exhibit. Analyze: Overall, Columbus is most intrigued by the natives. He writes in detail about the body makeup, paints they have on themselves and colors of the skin. He is fascinated that the skin of the natives are neither black nor white. Along with being very interested in the natives appearances, he believes they are very ignorant because they have no knowledge on weapons like swords or iron. Columbus also believed that the natives are perfect for servants, would be Christians, and that that would obey his orders. All this information shows that he thinks of the...
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