The VERY Messed Up Origins™ of Pocahontas (REVISITED!) | Disney Explained

Summary

In this episode of the "Messed Up Origins" podcast, John Solo explores the historical inaccuracies in Disney's *Pocahontas*. While the film portrays a romanticized story of Pocahontas and John Smith, the real events were far more complex. The episode dissects the movie scene by scene, highlighting the creative liberties Disney took, from Pocahontas’s age to the fabricated romance, while also touching on her real-life family, her tribe, and Smith’s questionable accounts. Solo blends historical facts with the movie’s narrative, revealing the disturbing truths behind the beloved film, all while adding humor and insights on how and why Disney reshaped history for entertainment purposes.

Takeaways

• 🎬 Disney's Pocahontas is inspired by real people and events but takes massive creative liberties, turning a historical tragedy into a Romeo-and-Juliet-style romance.
• 📝 Pocahontas was a real person born around 1596, but she would have been about 11 years old when the English settlers arrived, not an adult as depicted in the movie.
• 🗡️ John Smith was a real historical figure but not the heroic, handsome adventurer Disney portrays. He was known to lie and embellish his accounts.
• 🏹 The character of Governor Ratcliffe is a combination of several real-life English captains, chosen for dramatic villainy rather than historical accuracy.
• 🌳 Grandmother Willow is fictional, but her inclusion draws from Native American animistic beliefs rather than an actual talking tree.
• 💘 The romantic relationship between Pocahontas and John Smith is historically inaccurate; Smith’s writings about their interaction are questionable and exaggerated.
• ⚔️ The movie’s conflict and near-execution scene are loosely inspired by Smith’s later accounts, but key details were fabricated years after the events.
• 🌾 The settlers learned to grow tobacco and survive thanks to guidance from Pocahontas’s people, showing real historical cooperation between the natives and colonists.
• 💥 John Smith’s actual injury was from a gunpowder accident, not a heroic act protecting the chief as depicted in the film.
• 📚 Disney prioritized social responsibility and storytelling drama over historical accuracy, resulting in a story that is entertaining but mostly fictional.
• 🎧 The podcast emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between folklore-inspired storytelling and true historical events, highlighting how media can reshape history.

Q & A

Was Disney's Pocahontas historically accurate?

No, Disney's Pocahontas took significant creative liberties, altering real events and characters to create a more entertaining narrative rather than an accurate historical account.

Who were some of the real-life figures depicted in Disney's Pocahontas?

The real-life figures included Pocahontas (also known as Mataka), John Smith, Chief Powhatan, and Governor Ratcliffe, though their portrayals in the film differ greatly from historical records.

How did Disney portray the age difference between Pocahontas and John Smith?

The film portrayed them as adults and romantically involved, but historically, Pocahontas would have been around 11 years old when John Smith arrived at Jamestown.

What was the real John Smith like compared to the movie's version?

The real John Smith was described as manipulative and a liar, unlike the heroic and handsome character in the movie. Many stories about him, including his romance with Pocahontas, were fabricated in his own writings.

What inspired Disney's storyline about Pocahontas saving John Smith?

The storyline was loosely based on a story John Smith wrote a decade later, claiming that Pocahontas saved him from execution. However, he never mentioned this event in earlier accounts, making its authenticity doubtful.

Who was Governor Ratcliffe in real life?

Governor Ratcliffe was a combination of several English figures involved in Jamestown, including John Martin, Christopher Newport, and Edward Maria Wingfield. He was a social climber and a largely incompetent leader.

What role did Grandmother Willow play in the movie, and was she real?

Grandmother Willow served as Pocahontas's spiritual guide in the film. While she was fictional, Native Americans did hold animistic beliefs that imbued nature with spiritual significance.

How did Pocahontas’s tribe interact with the Jamestown settlers?

Historically, Pocahontas's tribe taught the settlers how to farm and often offered gestures of goodwill by providing food and supplies, reflecting a period of relative peace between the groups.

Why did Disney make Pocahontas an adult in the film?

Disney made her an adult to avoid the socially inappropriate implications of a romance between a child and an adult, which would have reflected the real historical ages of Pocahontas and John Smith.

Did the movie portray John Smith's real injuries accurately?

No, the film dramatized his injury as a heroic act protecting Chief Powhatan, while historically, John Smith was injured in a gunpowder accident in England.

What was the Virginia Company's main goal for the Jamestown expedition?

The Virginia Company sought profitable returns from any natural resources in the New World. While gold was hoped for, the expedition ultimately became profitable through tobacco cultivation, learned from the natives.

Did Pocahontas have a relationship with Kokum as depicted in the film?

It is unclear. While Pocahontas may have had a relationship with a warrior in her tribe, historical records are sparse, and the movie's portrayal was heavily fictionalized.