On This Day

American Indian princess Pocahontas and daughter of chief Powhatan marries English colonist John Rolfe

Pocahontas (US: , UK: ; born Amonute, also known as Matoaka and Rebecca Rolfe; c. 1596 – March 1617) was a Native American woman belonging to the Powhatan people, notable for her association with the...

Pocahontas (US: , UK: ; born Amonute, also known as Matoaka and Rebecca Rolfe; c. 1596 – March 1617) was a Native American woman belonging to the Powhatan people, notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. She was the daughter of Wahunsenacawh, the paramount chief of a network of tributary tribes in the Tsenacommacah (known in English as the Powhatan Confederacy), encompassing the Tidewater region of what is today the U.S. state of Virginia.

Pocahontas was captured and held for ransom by English colonists during hostilities in 1613. During her captivity, she was encouraged to convert to Christianity and was baptized under the name Rebecca.

Historical Significance

Pocahontas (US: , UK: ; born Amonute, also known as Matoaka and Rebecca Rolfe; c.

Key People

Pocahontas

Native American woman

Native American woman

Events Before

  1. King James I's daughter Elizabeth marries Frederick V of the Palatinate

    The wedding of Frederick V of the Palatinate (1596–1632) and Princess Elizabeth (1596–1662), daughter of James VI and I, was celebrated in London in February 1613.

  2. Michael Romanov, son of the Patriarch of Moscow, is elected the first Russian Tsar of the House of Romanov

    The House of Romanov was the reigning imperial house of Russia from 1613 to 1917. They achieved prominence after Anastasia Romanovna married Ivan the Terrible, the first crowned tsar of all Russia.

  3. Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London burns down during a performance of "Henry VIII"

    Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London burns down during a performance of "Henry VIII"

  4. Astronomer Johannes Kepler marries his second wife Susanna Reuttinger

    Astronomer Johannes Kepler marries his second wife Susanna Reuttinger

  5. Robert Carr, 1st Earl of Somerset, marries Frances Howard, occasioning John Donne's "Eclogue"

    Robert Carr, 1st Earl of Somerset, marries Frances Howard, occasioning John Donne's "Eclogue"

Events After

  1. First Récollet missionaries arrive at Quebec City, from Rouen, France

    First Récollet missionaries arrive at Quebec City, from Rouen, France

  2. Dutch mariner Jacques Le Maire sets sails from Texel, North Holland, to find a new route to the Pacific and the Spice Is

    Dutch mariner Jacques Le Maire sets sails from Texel, North Holland, to find a new route to the Pacific and the Spice Islands and the southern continent (Terra Australis)

  3. Nighttime naval battle off the coast of Peru between a Dutch fleet led by Joris Spilbergen and a Spanish fleet carrying

    Nighttime naval battle off the coast of Peru between a Dutch fleet led by Joris Spilbergen and a Spanish fleet carrying silver; two Spanish ships sink [1]

  4. Dutch expedition of Joris van Spilbergen attacks and later pillages the Spanish-held town of Paita, north of Lima [1]

    Dutch expedition of Joris van Spilbergen attacks and later pillages the Spanish-held town of Paita, north of Lima [1]

  5. Nicolas Fouquet is born

    Nicolas Fouquet, French official, known for french official, was born on 1615-02-23.

More from the 1610s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on April 5, 1614?
Pocahontas (US: , UK: ; born Amonute, also known as Matoaka and Rebecca Rolfe; c. 1596 – March 1617) was a Native American woman belonging to the Powhatan people, notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. She was the daughter of Wahunsenacawh, the paramount chief of a network of tributary tribes in the Tsenacommacah (known in English as the Powhatan Confederacy), encompassing the Tidewater region of what is today the U.S.
Why is American Indian princess Pocahontas and daughter of chief Powhatan marries En... significant?
Pocahontas (US: , UK: ; born Amonute, also known as Matoaka and Rebecca Rolfe; c.
Who was involved in American Indian princess Pocahontas and daughter of chief Powhatan marries En...?
Key figures include Pocahontas (Native American woman).

Explore More