"The little-known secrets behind the men & women who shaped America"

Thomas Rolfe was forgotten by history, but his mother remains a legend

By Paul Niemann

[November 28, 2008]  Thomas Rolfe was the product of what is probably the first interracial marriage in U.S. history. But that's not his claim to fame. Actually, he never became famous, but his mother sure did.

At a time of war, it was Thomas Rolfe's mother who helped bring about a temporary peace.

The long-running wars between the native Indians and the British colonists, known as the Anglo-Powhatan wars, occurred near Jamestown, Va., in the 1600s. The first war lasted from 1610 until 1614, while the second war lasted from 1644 to 1646. The second war is the one that forced the Indians from their land.

In 1613, the English colonists captured the princess daughter of the Powhatan tribe's chief and held her captive for nearly a year, causing an immediate cease-fire. When they finally met up with the Powhatan chief, whose name was Chief Powhatan, the English and the Indians arranged for the daughter to marry the Englishman John Rolfe. The marriage improved relations between the English and the natives significantly, at least until the second Anglo-Powhatan war.

The given name of the chief's daughter was Matoaka, but she took the name of Rebecca when she was baptized in 1612. If this cast of characters' names hasn't confused you enough by now, then here's one more: She has been known throughout history not as Matoaka nor as Rebecca, but by a nickname that was given to her as a child.

Rebecca and John Wolfe, along with their infant son, Thomas, traveled to England in 1616 to meet with British royalty in order to raise money and attract new settlers to the Virginia colony.

Thomas returned to Virginia nearly 20 years later and married Jane Poythress. By this time, his grandfather Chief Powhatan had died, and the chief's brother had succeeded him as the new chief. Rather than joining with the Powhatan Indians, Thomas joined the English military where, ironically, he helped take control of the land previously owned by the Powhatan tribe. Despite this, his mother is one of the most well-known Indians in history.

OK, so you probably don't remember studying about the Anglo-Powhatan wars in history class, but they did happen. There are probably a lot of things that you don't remember from history class, but that doesn't mean they didn't happen.

Thomas' father, John, also played a role in history. John Rolfe was one of the first to introduce tobacco to the colonies. Thirteen years after John died, Thomas returned to the Virginia colony and took over his father's tobacco plantation.

It was Thomas' mother who became a household name, though. Her legacy included descendents such as President Thomas Jefferson's son-in-law Thomas Mann Randolph, Jr. (who married Martha Jefferson) and President Woodrow Wilson's wife, Edith.

I mentioned earlier that the Indian princess went by a nickname given to her as a child. Her birth name was Matoaka; her Christian name was Rebecca; then she became Rebecca Wolfe when she married.

But you remember her as Pocahontas.

[By PAUL NIEMANN]

Paul Niemann's column is syndicated to more than 70 newspapers. He is the author of the "Invention Mysteries" series of books. He can be reached at [e-mail].

Copyright Paul Niemann 2008

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