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Why Do Pocahontas Killed John Smith?

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In 1608, there was a race to get to the Americas, which were beginning to be colonized. Britain used lots of advertising to try to convince people to move. During this time, John Smith had been exploring the territory around the Virginia area when he had an encounter with the local American Indian tribe. Many people are unsure what happened during this encounter, and historians argue whether or not Pocahontas saved John Smith when the emperor of the tribe supposedly attempted to kill him. Pocahontas did not save John Smith’s life because the emperor was kind to him; in fact, the emperor was not going to kill John Smith at all. He was just trying to welcome Smith into the tribe.
It only appeared to John Smith as though Pocahontas was saving him from a vicious attack. In reality, it was just a part of her tribe’s welcoming ritual. John Smith thought that a common ritual for the tribe was actually a vicious attack (J.A. Leo Lemay). In the ritual, a Pocahontas pretended to save John Smith as a way of welcoming him into the tribe. Smith told his account of this story in “General History.” He only assumed that the emperor was trying to kill him. Smith misunderstood what the whole ritual meant (J.A. Leo Lemay). …show more content…

Smith’s first account of his meeting the local Indian tribe in “True Relation” described them as being kind and friendly. Later, Smith added footnotes into “True Relation” saying that Pocahontas threw herself onto him to save him from the emperor (Paul Lewis). Smith just adds the portion of the ritual, believing that is was some type of execution. He does not change his account of the original story. This confirms that Smith does not deny the fact that the emperor was kind to him. The emperor never ceased to be kind to John

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And whispers started, neighbors telling neighbors how Smith said the new people were kind and hospitable to him. How Smith said the new people treated him to their delicacies and provided him with provisions on his journeys. How Smith said the new people were respectful, helpful, and friendly. Smith writes about Chief Powhatan of the Powhatan Nation, "He kindly welcomed me with such good words and great platters of sundry victuals, assuring me his friendship and my Liberty in four days... Having all the kindness he could devise, sought to content me, he sent me home with four men: one that usually carried my gown and knapsack after me, two loaded with bread, and one to accompany me."

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