Powhatan Indian Pocahontas Analysis

Raised up to be a magnificent being and the central importance of bonds between two very peculiar clashes of people, this strong-willed and idealistic woman set history in place. As I review these articles, I hope to receive knowledge over the history of Pocahontas and how she became such an important aspect to the English and the Powhatan Indians. I would also like to grasp a better understanding on how the Algonquin princess is transformed into an English man’s wife and goes into English Custody. This paper has reviews of articles by Gary Dyer, Frederic W. Gleach, Michael Tratner, and Jay Hansford C. Vest. Cleveland State University, English department member, Gary Dyer, wrote the article, “The Transatlantic Pocahontas.” Dyer expresses …show more content…
Gleach is an American anthropologist who specializes in Native American peoples of Virginia. He grew up in Virginia and received his Ph.D. in 1992 from the University of Chicago, where he studied with Raymond D. Fogelson. In Frederic’s article he explains that the Powhatan Indians were the underived occupants that were settled at Jamestown. When the Jamestown colonists arrived, the Powhatan Indians were the first to become aware of their arrival. At this point in time, the Powhatan Indians did not have much recognition, in fact, they were ghostly. They were trying to recreate themselves and gain way to spawn new and improved opportunities for themselves. Out of all the colonists that arrived there was one man that plays a very specific role in the life of Pocahontas, the Native Americans, and the English settlement. This significant person is known as Captain John Smith. Captain John Smith was a British soldier who was part of the group that traveled to Jamestown to establish it as a new colony. Not long after his arrival, he ran into Pocahontas. As Smith was out exploring the Chickahominy River region, he soon got captured by the Powhatan Indians. He was held in captivity for a few months. Chief Powhatan ultimately comes to the conclusion to have Smith clubbed to death. When the ceremonial ritual begins, Pocahontas runs between Captain John Smith and the warriors and covers his body with hers as a way of protection. Gleach quotes, “Pocahontas is viewed with an …show more content…
Tratner is a professor in the English department at Bryn Mawr College. His article discusses how Pocahontas and the Powhatan tribe fall into a deep infatuation once they experience something new. Tratner quotes, “Indians fall into a love which causes them to give away treasure, the British in these works are presented as always able to control their own emotions.” This article explains how the Indians would let loose of their riches and valuables in exchange of something more modern. This process between the colonists and the Native Americans is an example of colonial expansion. The settlers practiced maintaining its control over the Indians by continuing this type of trade. This control they pursued, especially came from establishing settlements, such as Jamestown, or exploiting resources, such as the Powhatan Indian’s treasured historical items. The English were victorious in their efforts in converting the Native Americans into some type of their personal control units. Tratner explains how Pocahontas and the other natives are part of a mercantilist era. The value of the Indians treasures ultimately increased whenever they handed it over into the hands of the colonists of Jamestown. These people are part of a new era simply because of how the objects value increases from one culture onto the next. The Powhatan treasures were inconsistently valued in England than they would be at Jamestown. As