Pocahontas

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Pocahontas (c.1595 ? March 21, 1617) was an Algonquian Indian whose life has formed the basis of highly romanticized legends. Her real name was Matoaka: 'Pocahontas' was actually a childhood nickname referring to her frolicsome nature (her name means "little wanton" or "playful frolicsome girl" in Powhatan). She was the daughter of Powhatan, a Native American chief who controlled almost all of tidewater Virginia (called Tenakomakah at the time). Because Pocahontas never learned to write, everything now known about her was transmitted to later generations by others, and the thoughts, feelings, and motives of the historical Pocahontas remain largely unknown. Her story has thus become a perfect breeding ground for romantic hyperbole in the centuries following her death (the Disney movie Pocohantas being an example).

Related Topics:
1595 - March 21 - 1617 - Algonquian - Powhatan - Native American - Virginia - Pocohantas

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