Pocahontas was the daughter of a powerful chief of the Powhatan Indian tribe of eastern Virginia, where she was most likely born. When she was about 12 years old, Pocahontas saved Captain John Smith, the leader of the Jamestown colonists, from execution. Smith had been captured by Indians while exploring the area. He was eventually released, and from then on Pocahontas became a frequent visitor to the Jamestown colony. She helped forge a trading relationship between the Powhatan and the colonists. She may have even warned the colony of a surprise attack planned by her father. After Smith returned to England, the relationship between the Powhatan and the colonists worsened. In 1613 English captain Samuel Argall kidnapped Pocahontas in order to force the Powhatan to accept a peace agreement with the colonists. During her captivity Pocahontas learned the language and customs of the English. She was instructed in Christianity and baptized under the Christian name Rebecca. She was eventually ransomed by her father, but not before she had met colonist John Rolfe, a successful tobacco grower. She and Rolfe were married in 1614, and their marriage began a period of peaceful relations between the colonists and the Powhatan. In 1616 Pocahontas traveled with Rolfe to England, where she met King James I and Queen Anne. Before she could return to America, Pocahontas became ill and died. She was buried in Gravesend, England, on March 21, 1617.
