Pocahontas, the “Indian princess,” has been an enduring image in American literature and art. However, her story has been adapted to suit the needs of its interpreters. She has been used to promote both the blending of indigenous and colonial cultures and assimilation and has also been claimed as a symbol by both abolitionists and the Southern aristocracy.
What is Pocahontas remembered for?
How did Pocahontas become famous?
By the account of John Smith, Pocahontas saved Smith’s life, when she was a girl and he was a prisoner of the Powhatans, by placing herself over him to prevent his execution. Some writers think that what Smith believed to be an execution was an adoption ceremony; others think that he invented the rescue.
