Chapter 3: Marriage to John Rolfe
In 1613, during her captivity, Pocahontas met a widower
named John Rolfe. John Rolfe was a successful tobacco planter
and introduced cash crop tobacco to Jamestown. At this time
he was 28 years old and Pocahontas was 17.
John Rolfe and Pocahontas fell in love, but John Rolfe
would not marry her until she converted to Christianity. Pocahontas converted and baptized, changing her name to Rebecca. Once she was released from captivity, she sent word to
Chief Powhatan that she was going to stay with the English
because she wanted to marry John.
They married April, 5 1614, with the blessings from Chief
Powhatan and the governor of Virginia. This marriage brought
peace between the English colonists and the Powhatans. This
peace stayed into effect until 1922. Some call this the
“Peace of Pocahontas”
In 1615, Rebecca Rolfe gave birth to a son named Thomas
Rolfe. It was after this that the Virginia Company of London,
decided to take advantage of their union. They thought that
by her being a Christian convert who married an Englishmen
would look good to others so that they may travel to the new
land.