Pocahontas: The Bridge Between Two Worlds

Pocahontas became known as "the bridge between two worlds" because she played a crucial role in fostering communication and understanding between the Powhatan people and the English colonists in Jamestown.

As the daughter of a Powhatan chief, she became an ambassador and peacekeeper, facilitating interactions that were crucial for the survival and development of the fledgling colony.

Why are we captivated by the story of Pocahontas? 
After more than 400 years, she remains a figure of fantasy, mystery, and controversy. 
Her life has been depicted in books, artworks, plays, films, musicals, and operas. 
What is myth and what is history?

Presenter Madeleine Eckert and husband Edward are American history researchers and enthusiasts who have been presenting slide lectures throughout Connecticut for over 20 years. 
Of special interest have been Norwalk history, the American Revolution, Civil War, WWII, and the arts.

On a personal note, Madeleine spent decades researching her Virginia heritage and has had 48 applications approved by the Jamestowne Society. 
And, by far, the ancestor that she reveres the most is Pocahontas! 
It took over two years of research to collect 13 
generations of documentation to prove the lineage. 

And an added bonus to her research is that another early family line of Madeleine’s - that of the “John Smith of Purton” family of Gloucester Co. - lived on what was originally Werowocomoco - the political center of the Powhatan chiefdom and home of Chief Powhatan and his daughter Pocahontas. 
This was the location where Pocahontas saved Captain John Smith.