I think hashing over Smith is very interesting project in these days
when Oprah infomrs us that a fictionalized autobiogrpahy is still "true"
when it reveals some underlying truth.   What is the underlying truth in
John Smith's histories?   I suppose Smith really set up the implication
-- if not the truth -- that the romantics have gravitated to ever since
he published the Generall History in 1624: all those stories about the
Princess Tragabiganza (who saved Smith when her brother, the vizier, was
about to have Smith beaten to death) and then Pocahontas (who saved him
when her father seemed to have ordered Smith to be beaten to
death...hmmm: Smith sees himself as a man that young women go crazy
over).   One thing we know about Smith is that his histories are very
much a reflection of his own unique perspectives and vantage point -- is
that truth enough?

But to Janet's question, the people who study the Powhatans and
Pocahontas put her birth around 1595 so she would have been only 11 or
12 at the time she would have encountered Smith -- which strains the
question of "romance" -- but I suppose doesn't entirely eliminate it
(although the image of Smith as pedophile would be less romanticizable)
 But even by Smith's account he didn't see much more of her.  She didn't
begin showing up in Jamestown until after Smith was recalled to England.
  She was probably about 17 when she met the "other" Englishman John
Rolfe, but even there there are some questions about whether there was a
real romantic connection (at least on her side -- she was being held for
ransom at the time by the English and marrying Rolfe was perhaps the
easiest way to escape that -- Rolfe may have fallen for her or he may
have thought it would be beneficial to form an alliance of his own with
the local natives.)

Just my couple of cents,
David Kiracofe

David Kiracofe
History
Tidewater Community College
Chesapeake Campus
1428 Cedar Road
Chesapeake, Virginia 23322
>>> [log in to unmask]  >>>
Hello Everyone,

I have not seen the movie, but my eldest daughter is about to and we had
a
discussion regarding whether there was actually any romance between John
Smith
and Pocohantas, or just friendship.   I also told her of the rather
torturous
letter John Rolfe wrote to whom I can't remember, regarding whether he
should
marry Pocohantas ca 1614 (will try to find online).  My romantic heart
read
between the lines that Rolfe simply desperately wanted her as his wife.

If memory serves, when the animated version of Pocohantas came up a few
years
ago, there was some some discussion from historians that there was never
a
romance between John Smith & Pocohantas.

I'm curious what the historians on the list think about these issues,
particularly whether John Smith & Pocohantas' relationship went beyond
friendship, as
we have so often been led to believe.  FYI, I do not know what the new
movie
"says" about this, but am just interested in your opinions/research,
etc.

Thanks in advance,

Best Regards,
Janet (Baugh) Hunter

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