Curators at Work: Pocahontas's Virginia

The Virginia Company that sponsored the Jamestown settlement arranged for Pocahontas to travel to England in 1616. The purpose was to show her off as evidence of the potential of the Virginia venture. Pocahontas was well received in England and given funds “to set forward the busines of building a Colledg in Virginia for the trayneing up of those heathen Children in true religion.” But at the start of her return trip to Virginia, an “illness” suddenly developed. At Gravesend, not far down the River Thames from London, Pocahontas died, and was buried in the churchyard of St. George’s Church.

In this virtual Curators at Work program, On May 21, 2021, VMHC Senior Curator William Rasmussen discussed the culture of 17th-century Virginia into which Pocahontas was born. Viewers will learn about what life was like at this time through a variety of artifacts from the VMHC collections, including archaeological objects, early maps and illustrations, early books, records of the Virginia Company of London, royal proclamations, and rare manuscripts. Tune in to discover what life was like in early Virginia!