In the spring of 1616, John and Rebecca Rolfe (better known to the world today as Pocahontas) left Virginia for England — a voyage from which she would never return.
Whether you first learned of Pocahontas in school, or through the 1995 blockbuster Disney animated film, the reason her fame has endured is certainly due to the renown she gained during that trip.
Her formal portrait, engraved by Simon van de Passe four centuries ago, made her a figure recognized around the world.
But who was the real Pocahontas?
There’s no better way to find out than by taking a trip to Jamestown, Va., to explore America’s oldest English colony.
Even if you’ve visited before, so much has changed in the decade since the town’s 400th birthday celebrations in 2007 that there’s plenty new to see.
Begin at the National Park Service’s Historic Jamestowne ($14 per person), which is part of the larger Colonial National Historical Park that also includes Yorktown Battlefield.
Over the past two decades, ongoing archaeological excavations at the park have brought to light amazing discoveries, including the town’s fortifications and the church where Rolfe and Pocahontas were married in 1614.
Many excavated artifacts are housed in the Voorhees Archaearium, which opened in 2006, and tells the story of Jamestown both before and after English settlement.
The archaearium’s “World of Pocahontas” focuses on the interactions — sometimes friendly, but often hostile — between the English settlers and Powhatan Indians in and around Jamestown. Pocahontas was a pivotal contact between the two groups, famously having saved John Smith when she was a child.
She ultimately converted to Christianity (whether of her own accord or by force is unknown), changed her name to Rebeccaglass and married Rolfe. The museum also explores other intriguing recent archaeological finds, such as examples of cannibalism, a horror brought on during the colony’s hard winters.
The entire grounds of Historic Jamestowne are worth exploring (the park offers some guided tours). The 5-mile scenic island drive around Jamestown Island is also beautiful — and gives a good sense of what the wilderness might have looked like 400 years ago — but it isn’t really worth stopping to read the placards along the way.
Before you leave, take a peek at the Glasshouse, located just outside the visitors’ center. Here, costumed interpreters make glass following the same techniques originally used by the colonists who were struggling to find ways to make the town turn a profit.
Having seen the real Jamestown, next drive five minutes down Colonial Parkway to Jamestown Settlement ($17 per person), which features a reconstruction of the fortified English town, replicas of the three ships that brought the original European settlers, and a recreated Powhatan village.
This village, based in part on archaeological evidence from a nearby site once inhabited by Paspahegh Indians (a Powhatan tribal group), provides an easy way for visitors to contrast the lives of Pocahontas and her people with the English newcomers.
However, the real star of the show at Jamestown Settlement is the gallery exhibit: a beautifully presented, in-depth exploration of Virginia’s history. Carefully weaving together the stories of the Powhatan, the English and the area’s first enslaved Africans, the galleries could easily take a full day to explore. However, even more casual visitors will learn a great deal here about Pocahontas’ world.
An hour’s drive north is the Pamunkey Indian Museum and Cultural Center ($5 per person). The Pamunkey are Virginia’s first federally recognized tribe and were part of the Powhatan confederacy. This small museum tells their story from the Ice Age to the present using tools and other artifacts. As the museum is staffed solely by volunteers and its operating hours vary, call in advance.
While there’s no place from the 17th century left in the area for you to stay, there is historic lodging to keep you in the mood. One good choice is the Historic Powhatan Resort, where the main Manor House dates back to 1735. The resort sits just an eight-minute drive from Jamestown Settlement and rooms start at $149 a night.
Slightly farther afield — but even more steeped in history — is Colonial Williamsburg. Whether you’re lodged at the modern, budget-friendly Governor’s Inn, where rooms start at $55 per night, or right in the middle of the town in an authentic colonial house (from $219), staying on the property gives guests admission discounts to Colonial Williamsburg’s many attractions.