The Abduction of Pocahontas

Accession number: 1996.49.14

"The Abduction of Pocahontas" by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris, c. 1910, recreates the arrival of Captain Samuel Argall (at left) at Jamestown with Pocahontas as his captive. He had kidnapped her in 1613 "for the ransoming of so many Englishmen as were prisoners with Powhatan: as also to get ... armes and tools ... [and] some quantities of Corne, for the colonies relief." The Europeans, who regarded Pocahontas as a princess, were surprised that her father did not redeem her, but in a matrilineal society she could not inherit her father's power and so was relatively unimportant.

Video
In this video, School Program Coordinator Caroline Legros, discusses the abduction of Pocahontas.

Use the menu bar to play or pause the video, adjust the volume, or view full screen mode.
Length: 2:15 [Adobe Flash Player required to play video - link opens new window]

What's related:

View more videos

Image rights owned by the Virginia Historical Society. Rights and reproductions