The London History Show: Pocahontas & John Smith

Welcome to the London History Show!
Every episode, we'll be looking at a different statue, plaque, building or feature of London's landscape that you can find for yourself, and we'll tell its story.
According to the National Museum of the American Indian, some people prefer "Native American" and some prefer "American Indian", so I switch between them.
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Sources:
Custelow, L. & Daniel, A. 2007. The True Story of Pocahontas: The Other Side of History.
Milton, G. 2000. Big Chief Elizabeth: How England’s Adventurers Gambled and Won the New World.
National Museum of the American Indian. 2007. Do All Indians Live In Tipis?
Shapiro, L.G. 2014. Pocahontas: Fantasy & Reality. www.slate.com/articles/health_...
Smith, J. 1616. Letter to Queen Anne. www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/acti...
Smith, J. 1624. The Generall Historie of Virginia, New-England, and the Summer Isles. docsouth.unc.edu/southlit/smit...
Strachey, W. 1612. The Historie of Travell into Virginia Britania.
United States Postal Service. Postage Stamps. about.usps.com/who-we-are/pos... [Accessed 31/12/2017].

[@amberhenry5063]

This is an incredibly well researched, thorough, and compassionate account. As a Black American of West Indian (Barbados) and African American parentage, I appreciate your sensitivity towards acknowledging a story’s multiple vantage points (linguistic, National, historical, cultural, friction) while still doing your best to unveil an account that is relevant from the British perspective. Truly fascinating work, thank you for your videos!

[@PhoebeFayRuthLouise]

Excellent video! As an American, I really appreciate you telling the truth about Pocahontas! (By the way, Jessica Kellgren-Fozard sent me.)

[@nikkiking4044]

Thank you for sharing a more accurate version than the Disney one we all grew up with. From some Indigenous creators I follow, her story is more tragic and violent. If I find the link to those videos I'll post them here

[@richardmiller9883]

Pocahontas is a nickname of questionable translation. Her given name is generally taken to have been Matoaka.

[@johnshoosmith]

I lived 12 miles from Jamestown, in Williamsburg, and worked at both museums in those locations from 5th grade through college. Your presentation of Pocahontas is as exactly how local historians debate John Smith's "Historie", only you here present the details better than anyone I've heard. Great vid- well done, well researched, beautifully presented!

[@cynhanrahan4012]

The source material on the interaction between Native Americans and the Colonizers (not just English, we know). History is written by white men. There are several other well mythologized Native American women who seemed to willingly assist the colonizers, but in the end turned out to be non consensual captives from a very early age. Another would be Sacagawea, who I was taught in school assisted the Lewis and Clark expedition from North Dakota to the West coast, probably Oregon. They would have starved without her, she knew edible plants and such. However, she was a captive sold into non consensual marriage to a fur trapper, along with another girl who disappears from history at that point. Survival methods, yes. Traveling and having babies along the way, yes. But I digress, because Meriwether Lewis is a cousin of mine who was told as tales of glory until I was old enough to do my own research.

[@turtle4llama]

I love the way you say "New England" like it's an absurd, archaic term.

[@khiarapollock8227]

Other than not using her actual indigenous name this was great.

[@rainyfeathers9148]

I wish they would stop trying to be cute though. John Smith telling stories is bad enough but colonial history romanticise the encounters, unions and marriages as if saying 'no' was an option. And John Smith was giving PDFile

[@Treia24]

Lovely video, but two very minor nit-picks -- her real name was actually Matoaka and Pocahontas was more of a childhood nickname. Though even here in Virginia where so many things are named Matoaka, not everyone knows about it being Pocahontas' real name. Other thing being, Mattaponi has the emphasis on first and last syllables, last syllable rhymes with pie. There are actually three rivers in the area, the Matta, the Po, and the Ni, which converge into the Mattaponi!

[@iconsnart]

You are just brilliant. Im so over "the absolute truth" history. So happy I found you

[@HypatiaK]

Well done! The child you mentioned became a great landholder in Virginia, having inherited his father’s tobacco plantations. He has many living descendants.

[@dannylance5212]

Her history research is flawless.

[@sirwaldo999]

Very well done. Wish more people looked at history through the lens you obviously use

[@joecaner]

"History is a set of lies agreed upon."

[@ILoveYou-rv3pd]

Thank you! I just came upon this on Indigenous Peoples Day in the US 😊

[@kimyoung230]

Very much enjoy the perspective you bring to your videos. Thank you!

[@flexywing]

I loved this vid, Yes catching up with your "back" catalogue. Just wanted to say, you have grown so much in the last 5 years. Keep up the great work

[@angrytedtalks]

Shakespeare died in 1616. I wonder if he met Pocahontas... her story would have made a great plot for a play.

[@ivanmeetsgijoe1073]

Having studied for an English degree, I knew most of this, but your presentation is just delovely and delicious.