Uploaded July 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
DISNEY has made this NATIVE AMERICAN PRINCESS famous, but who was the REAL POCAHONTAS and how accurate are the Pocahontas movies, released in the 1990s? In this American history documentary from History Calling we’ll take a Hollywood versus History approach by looking at the plot of the two animated movies then comparing them to what the historical records tell us about the life of the real Pocahontas, whose original name was actually Matoaka or Amonute. You’ll hear about her family, including her father, Chief Powhatan, also known as Wahunsonacock or Wahunsonacawh and the rumours surrounding her possible first marriage as a young teenager to a fellow tribesman called Kocoum. You’ll learn what may have really happened when she supposedly rescued English colonist Captain John Smith from almost being executed by her people and how a dramatic kidnap ordeal in 1613 led her to convert to Christianity, change her name to Rebecca, marry John Rolfe and have his son, Thomas. We’ll also look at her famous visit to England in 1616 and how she became a celebrity there, meeting King James I and his wife, Anne of Denmark. Along the way you’ll hear about the early English settlement in Jamestown, Virginia (then called James’s Fort) and the struggles the colonists faced in their efforts to survive. Be warned though, this story doesn’t have a happy Disney ending. Instead it finishes with an unmarked grave in an English churchyard, though I will explain to you what we know of the descendants of Pocahontas, including some who are still around today such as the actor Edward Norton.
BUY MY BOOK (Find Your Irish Ancestors Online): amzn.to/3Z2ChnG
Website (with 2 FREE DOWNLOADS): historycallingofficial.com
Patreon: patreon.com/historycalling
Amazon storefront: amazon.com/shop/historycalling
Instagram: instagram.com/historycalling
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:
ROYAL WOMEN PLAYLIST
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLSjVq5Qtb0HnqxlXmoJ1C3iQK3bXNO_g
AMERICAN HISTORY PLAYLIST
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLSjVq5Qtb0EPVPvUvE2DYCOBJY5yInMT
ANNE BOLEYN’S EXECUTION: HOLLYWOOD VS HISTORY
youtu.be/gBczwBsGCqM
GEAR USED
Apple MacBook Pro Laptop (for video editing): amzn.to/3S6IoRK
DJI Drone: amzn.to/38h1vXr (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/39hROZm (US LINK)
Go-Pro Hero 10 camera: amzn.to/3EPIK9U (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3rTWScL (US LINK)
GoPro 3-Way 2.0 (Tripod/Grip/Arm): amzn.to/37CdC1r (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3vaVxjU (US LINK)
Memory Card: amzn.to/36QvcOQ (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3KeLZZs (US LINK)
Microphone: amzn.to/3MFtoaK (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3rYtjH8 (US LINK)
LEARN MORE:
Want to watch/hear/read more about history (and a whole host of other topics)? Then you might benefit from a free Audible or Prime video trial. They are available from the following links:
AUDIBLE
amzn.to/44MvlMi
AUDIBLE PLUS & AUDIBLE PREMIUM PLUS
amzn.to/42rh3PF
PRIME VIDEO
amzn.to/3LW7ykg
BUY OR RENT:
Pocahontas (Disney, 1995) available at amzn.to/3Nezp13
Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World (Disney, 1998) available at amzn.to/43EY9ou
THUMBNAIL: Animated image: Disney artwork for the DVD cover for the 1995 film, Pocahontas. Used under Fair Use. Portrait: National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; transfer from the National Gallery of Art; gift of the A.W. Mellon Educational and Charitable Trust, 1942, CC0.
NB: Links above may be affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through one of these links, I earn a small commission. It in no way affects the price you pay.
Creative Commons licenses used see creativecommons.org/licenses
DISNEY has made this NATIVE AMERICAN PRINCESS famous, but who was the REAL POCAHONTAS and how accurate are the Pocahontas movies, released in the 1990s? In this American history documentary from History Calling we’ll take a Hollywood versus History approach by looking at the plot of the two animated movies then comparing them to what the historical records tell us about the life of the real Pocahontas, whose original name was actually Matoaka or Amonute. You’ll hear about her family, including her father, Chief Powhatan, also known as Wahunsonacock or Wahunsonacawh and the rumours surrounding her possible first marriage as a young teenager to a fellow tribesman called Kocoum. You’ll learn what may have really happened when she supposedly rescued English colonist Captain John Smith from almost being executed by her people and how a dramatic kidnap ordeal in 1613 led her to convert to Christianity, change her name to Rebecca, marry John Rolfe and have his son, Thomas. We’ll also look at her famous visit to England in 1616 and how she became a celebrity there, meeting King James I and his wife, Anne of Denmark. Along the way you’ll hear about the early English settlement in Jamestown, Virginia (then called James’s Fort) and the struggles the colonists faced in their efforts to survive. Be warned though, this story doesn’t have a happy Disney ending. Instead it finishes with an unmarked grave in an English churchyard, though I will explain to you what we know of the descendants of Pocahontas, including some who are still around today such as the actor Edward Norton.
BUY MY BOOK (Find Your Irish Ancestors Online): amzn.to/3Z2ChnG
Website (with 2 FREE DOWNLOADS): historycallingofficial.com
Patreon: patreon.com/historycalling
Amazon storefront: amazon.com/shop/historycalling
Instagram: instagram.com/historycalling
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:
ROYAL WOMEN PLAYLIST
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLSjVq5Qtb0HnqxlXmoJ1C3iQK3bXNO_g
AMERICAN HISTORY PLAYLIST
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLSjVq5Qtb0EPVPvUvE2DYCOBJY5yInMT
ANNE BOLEYN’S EXECUTION: HOLLYWOOD VS HISTORY
youtu.be/gBczwBsGCqM
GEAR USED
Apple MacBook Pro Laptop (for video editing): amzn.to/3S6IoRK
DJI Drone: amzn.to/38h1vXr (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/39hROZm (US LINK)
Go-Pro Hero 10 camera: amzn.to/3EPIK9U (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3rTWScL (US LINK)
GoPro 3-Way 2.0 (Tripod/Grip/Arm): amzn.to/37CdC1r (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3vaVxjU (US LINK)
Memory Card: amzn.to/36QvcOQ (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3KeLZZs (US LINK)
Microphone: amzn.to/3MFtoaK (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3rYtjH8 (US LINK)
LEARN MORE:
Want to watch/hear/read more about history (and a whole host of other topics)? Then you might benefit from a free Audible or Prime video trial. They are available from the following links:
AUDIBLE
amzn.to/44MvlMi
AUDIBLE PLUS & AUDIBLE PREMIUM PLUS
amzn.to/42rh3PF
PRIME VIDEO
amzn.to/3LW7ykg
BUY OR RENT:
Pocahontas (Disney, 1995) available at amzn.to/3Nezp13
Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World (Disney, 1998) available at amzn.to/43EY9ou
THUMBNAIL: Animated image: Disney artwork for the DVD cover for the 1995 film, Pocahontas. Used under Fair Use. Portrait: National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; transfer from the National Gallery of Art; gift of the A.W. Mellon Educational and Charitable Trust, 1942, CC0.
NB: Links above may be affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through one of these links, I earn a small commission. It in no way affects the price you pay.
Creative Commons licenses used see creativecommons.org/licenses
