The Old World with Will Tanner

The Real Story of Pocahontas: Betrayed by Her People, Adopted by the English

This is the true story of Pocahontas, not the Disney one. This is the tale of a beloved little princess in the Powhatan Confederacy named Matoaka known for her curiosity, hence the nickname "Pocahontas" that became invariably associated with the tale of Virginia's earliest days. She was used in a game of high-stakes frontier diplomacy with John Smith that turned into a legend of lovestruck sacrifice, she was sold to Samuel Argall by her own people for a copper kettle during the Anglo-Powhatan War, and then she was Westernized and christened Lady Rebecca by the English. Abandoned and betrayed by her father and her people when the Powhatan betrayed her yet again to keep a few rusty swords, she then married John Rolfe and became the feted belle of the ball in England, where she met the king and queen, reunited with John Smith, and caught the illness that laid her low. But, it turns out, not just her memory, but her original name lives on in the name of one of America's most famous battlefields… 0:00 Pocahontas Saves John Smith 3:20 Why Is Pocahontas Important? 3:54: How Maoaka Got the Nickname, "Pocahontas" 5:27 Growing Up in the Powhatan Confederacy 7:18 Did Pocahontas Really Save John Smith 10:22 The First Anglo-Powhatan War 12:36 Pocahontas Is Captured by Samuel Argall 15:03 Pocahonas Is Westernized at Henrico 17:01 Pocahontas Meets John Rolfe, and They Fall In Love 21:15 The Powhatan People Refuse to Fight or Negotiate for Pocahontas 23:28 Pocahontas Marries Rolfe 23:33 Pocahontas Marries John Rolfe 26:11 Lady Rebecca and John Rolfe Travel to London 28:14 Pocahontas and John Smith Meet Again 29:00 Pocahontas Takes London Society by Storm 30:20 Pocahontas Grows Sick in Polluted London 31:10 Pocahontas dies Sources Referenced in this Episode: I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you would like to support the show at no added cost to yourself, you can do so by using the links below to order and read the sources I used to create this episode. Thanks! Smith, Captain John: The Generall Historie of Virginia, New-England, and the Summer Isles., https://amzn.to/49H3hxR [https://amzn.to/49H3hxR] Willison, George F.: Behold Virginia: The Fifth Crown, https://amzn.to/4do9YG4 [https://amzn.to/4do9YG4] Dabney, Virginius: Virginia: The New Dominion, https://amzn.to/4dtAE8l [https://amzn.to/4dtAE8l] Andrews, Matthew Page: Virginia: The Old Dominion, Vol. I, https://amzn.to/4uZBW2h [https://amzn.to/4uZBW2h] Bruce, Philip Alexander: The Virginia Plutarch, Vol I, https://amzn.to/437cAU0 [https://amzn.to/437cAU0] Morton, Richard L.: Colonial Virginia, https://amzn.to/4ua3bqY [https://amzn.to/4ua3bqY] Andrews, Matthew Page: The Soul of a Nation: The Founding Of Virginia and the Projection of New England, https://amzn.to/4d9Ut60 [https://amzn.to/4d9Ut60]

The Cradle of the Revolution: How Virginia's Greatest Gentlemen Began the American Revolution in 1766

Listen ad-free here: https://www.theamericantribune.news/p/the-cradle-of-the-revolution-how [https://www.theamericantribune.news/p/the-cradle-of-the-revolution-how] In this show, Will argues that Virginia, rather than Massachusetts, was the cradle of the American Revolution. To do so, he begins with the French and Indian War, describing the cost of it to both Virginia and Britain, and how it led to the Stamp Act, one of the key causes of the American Revolution. He then explains why the Stamp Act's silver currency requirement was particularly harmful to the agrarian, tobacco-dependent Virginia economy. Continuing, he argues that when Richard Henry Lee led Virginia into its 1766 passing of the Westmoreland Resolves—also called the Leedsburg Resolutions—that was the moment the Revolution began, and that the standard of organized political reaction to British tyranny set by it was the path to revolution that other states followed. Further, he explains why the Westmoreland Resolves were such a critical step forward that served as the beginning of the Revolution, what made the men behind them special, and how they show the unique culture of leadership and duty that existed in the Virginia of the Golden Age. He concludes by noting Richard Henry Lee's later involvement in the Declaration of Independence, and how Virginia led America in pushing for it. Sources Referenced in this Episode: I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you would like to support the show at no added cost to yourself, you can do so by using the links below to order and read the sources I used to create this episode. Thanks! * Smith, Captain John: The Generall Historie of Virginia, New-England, and the Summer Isles., https://amzn.to/49H3hxR [https://amzn.to/49H3hxR] * Willison, George F.: Behold Virginia: The Fifth Crown, https://amzn.to/4do9YG4 [https://amzn.to/4do9YG4] * Dabney, Virginius: Virginia: The New Dominion, https://amzn.to/4dtAE8l [https://amzn.to/4dtAE8l] * Andrews, Matthew Page: Virginia: The Old Dominion, Vol. I, https://amzn.to/4uZBW2h [https://amzn.to/4uZBW2h] * Bruce, Philip Alexander: The Virginia Plutarch, Vol I, https://amzn.to/437cAU0 [https://amzn.to/437cAU0] * Morton, Richard L.: Colonial Virginia, https://amzn.to/4ua3bqY [https://amzn.to/4ua3bqY] * Andrews, Matthew Page: The Soul of a Nation: The Founding Of Virginia and the Projection of New England, https://amzn.to/4d9Ut6 [https://amzn.to/4d9Ut60] Image credit: Public Domain unless otherwise stated * Major George Washington, Junius Brutus Stearns, CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/, via Wikimedia Commons * Fort Necessity Diorama, Pi3.124, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons * Fort Necessity, Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Life of John Smith: Virginia's First Hero

In this episode, Will tells the tale of the life of John Smith, the mercenary-turned-explorer who was the first great Virginia hero. This is the tale of how Smith won his knighthood by defeating three Ottoman Turks in single combat, how he ended up as a leader in the original settlement of Virginia, and how his lasting legacy was the map he made out of his own explorations. Will also discusses why Pocahontas saved John Smith, how Smith saved Jamestown, and his legacy in mapping New England, along with why he died in relative obscurity. Listen ad-free and access the transcript here: ⁠https://www.theamericantribune.news/p/the-life-of-john-smith-virginias⁠ [https://www.theamericantribune.news/p/the-life-of-john-smith-virginias] Sources Referenced in this Episode: I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you would like to support the show at no added cost to yourself, you can do so by using the links below to order and read the sources I used to create this episode. Thanks! * Smith, Captain John: The Generall Historie of Virginia, New-England, and the Summer Isles., https://amzn.to/49H3hxR [https://amzn.to/49H3hxR] * Willison, George F.: Behold Virginia: The Fifth Crown, https://amzn.to/4do9YG4 [https://amzn.to/4do9YG4] * Dabney, Virginius: Virginia: The New Dominion, https://amzn.to/4dtAE8l [https://amzn.to/4dtAE8l] * Andrews, Matthew Page: Virginia: The Old Dominion, Vol. I, https://amzn.to/4uZBW2h [https://amzn.to/4uZBW2h] * Bruce, Philip Alexander: The Virginia Plutarch, Vol I, https://amzn.to/437cAU0 [https://amzn.to/437cAU0] * Morton, Richard L.: Colonial Virginia, https://amzn.to/4ua3bqY [https://amzn.to/4ua3bqY] * Andrews, Matthew Page: The Soul of a Nation: The Founding Of Virginia and the Projection of New England, https://amzn.to/4d9Ut60 [https://amzn.to/4d9Ut60] Timestamps 0:00 John Smith Saves Virginia: He Who Does Not Work, Neither Shall He Eat at Jamestown 4:36 The Humble Origins of John Smith 5:55 John Smith Becomes a European Mercenary 7:33 How John Smith Became a Legend 10:02 John Smith Becomes a Slave of the Ottoman Turks 14:04 How John Smith Joined the Virginia Company, and the Virginia Expedition 15:40 Smith and Bartholomew Gosnold 18:05 John Smith Feuds With Everyone 20:09 Smith Is Saved 21:33 Jamestown Is Founded, and Disaster Begins 22:40 Smith is Saved by Pocahontas 25:29 John Smith Maps Virginia 29:41 John Smith and Indian Diplomacy 34:07 John Smith Saves Jamestown 36:11 Smith's Style of Negotiating with the Indians 38:11 Smith's Enemies Return, and He Must Leave 43:40 Smith Maps New England 45:11 The Pilgrims Don't Like John Smith 46:14 The End of John Smith's Life Image credit: Public Domain unless otherwise stated John Smith Coat of Arms: Glasshouse using elements by Heralder, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons Richard Croft / St.Helena's church

John Rolfe: How the Hero Twice Saved Virginia

Listen ad-free and access the transcript here: ⁠https://www.theamericantribune.news/p/john-rolfe-the-hero-who-twice-saved⁠ [https://www.theamericantribune.news/p/john-rolfe-the-hero-who-twice-saved] This is the tale of the heroic John Rolfe, the English farmer and gentleman who saved the fledgling colony of Virginia not once, but twice. In this episode, we describe how Rolfe smuggled Orinoco tobacco into Virginia, and used his unique skills to learn how to cultivate it and save the broke colony from financial collapse. We then tell the true story of Rolfe's fairy tale-like marriage to Pocahontas, focusing on how the marriage created the colony-saving "Peace of Pocahontas" and how London Society in the Court of King James I viewed her with immense interest and respect. We then turn to how John Rolfe died, discussing the 1622 Indian Massacre that he tried and failed to stop, but why his previous work to save the colony ensured the 1622 disaster wasn't enough to totally destroy it. In this episode, we also describe Rolfe's family background, the immense tragedy he suffered when the Sea Venture wrecked in Bermuda, Captain Argall's capture of Pocahontas at the cost of a kettle, Rolfe's Christian faith, and how Rolfe helped develop representative government in Virginia. 0:00 How John Rolfe Saved Virginia with Tobacco 3:41 Reviewing the Golden Age 3:57 Who Was John Rolfe? 8:10 Tragedy Strikes Rolfe 9:39 John Rolfe Saves Virginia by Cultivating Tobacco 15:21 How Tobacco Built Virginia 15:39 Rolfe Saves Virginia Again: The Peace of Pocahontas 17:22 The Capture of Pocahontas and the Anglo-Powhatan War 18:39 Pocahontas Meets John Rolfe 21:26 Pocahontas Becomes Beloved in England, and Dies 23:30 Rolfe Returns to Virginia, and Helps Create Representative Government 25:06 Rolfe Dies in the 1622 Indian Massacre 26:48 The Legacy of John Rolfe Sources Referenced in this Episode: I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you would like to support my work at no cost to yourself, you can do so by ordering the sources I used for this episode using the links below * Bruce, Philip Alexander: Economic History of Virginia in the Seventeenth Century, https://amzn.to/437bho4 [https://amzn.to/437bho4] * Dowdey, Clifford: The Great Plantation, https://amzn.to/434EBeS [https://amzn.to/434EBeS] * Willison, George F.: Behold Virginia: The Fifth Crown, https://amzn.to/4do9YG4 [https://amzn.to/4do9YG4] * Bruce, Philip Alexander: Social Life of Virginia in the Seventeenth Century, https://amzn.to/4tDRsQd [https://amzn.to/4tDRsQd] * Wertenbaker, Thomas Jefferson: Virginia Under the Stuarts, 1607-1688, https://amzn.to/431VN4O [https://amzn.to/431VN4O] * Wertenbaker, Thomas Jefferson: Planters of Colonial Virginia, https://amzn.to/4tyVARt [https://amzn.to/4tyVARt] * Wertenbaker, Thomas Jefferson: Patrician and Plebeian in Virginia, https://amzn.to/48ZgIcl [https://amzn.to/48ZgIcl] * Morton, Richard L.: Colonial Virginia, https://amzn.to/4ua3bqY [https://amzn.to/4ua3bqY] * Andrews, Matthew Page: The Soul of a Nation: The Founding Of Virginia and the Projection of New England, https://amzn.to/4d9Ut60 [https://amzn.to/4d9Ut60] * Bruce, Philip Alexander: The Virginia Plutarch, Vol I, https://amzn.to/437cAU0 [https://amzn.to/437cAU0]

The Golden Age: How the Virginia Gentry Cultivated the Founding Generation

This is the story of Colonial Virginia in its fullest flowering. From its unique culture to its excellent people, from the glorious Georgian mansions for which it is still remembered to the political leaders its tobacco plantations produced, this is how the special society that grew out of the Virginia Tidewater turned into the cradle of the American Revolution. Particularly, we discuss why the Virginia gentry produced such excellent leaders as it did, and how the culture of leadership and command, when paired with the sense of dignity and refinement for which the classic Virginia Gentlemen were known, created most of America's greatest heroes and most important leaders. In this episode, we dive into both those leaders and what enabled them to be such. We uncover the importance of architecture to the Virginia gentry's social dominance, how leadership was built at the local level and cultivated from the ground up, how the political culture of Virginia's Golden Age produced the Founders, and how their reliance on depleted soil, London merchants, and British debt became a budding economic crisis for colonial Virginia. But, most of all, we discuss how the civil society of the Golden Age was refined and cultivated, and how that produced the men who led the Revolution and created the Early American Republic. Sources for the Episode I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you would like to support the show at no added cost to yourself, you can do so by using the links below to order and read the sources I used to create this episode. Thanks! * Sydnor, Charles S.: Gentlemen Freeholders: Political Practices in Washington's Virginia: https://amzn.to/3R0ujKf [https://amzn.to/3R0ujKf] * Isaac, Rhys: The Transformation of Virginia, 1740-1790: https://amzn.to/4dEcMiL [https://amzn.to/4dEcMiL] * Evans, Emory G.: The "Topping People": The Rise and Decline of Virginia's Old Political Elite, 1680-1790: https://amzn.to/430Fmpi [https://amzn.to/430Fmpi] * Bruce, Philip Alexander: Economic History of Virginia in the Seventeenth Century: https://amzn.to/4eEocVF [https://amzn.to/4eEocVF] * Wertenbaker, Thomas J.: The Planters of Colonial Virginia, https://amzn.to/4uDFJ4Y [https://amzn.to/4uDFJ4Y] * Morton, Richard L.: Colonial Virginia, https://amzn.to/4ua3bqY [https://amzn.to/4ua3bqY] * Dowdey, Clifford: The Golden Age: A Climate for Greatness, https://amzn.to/4wkvVi7 [https://amzn.to/4wkvVi7] * Stanard, Mary Newton: Colonial Virginia: Its People And Customs, https://amzn.to/4u5X2Mm [https://amzn.to/4u5X2Mm] * Wright, Louis B.: The First Gentlemen of Virginia, https://amzn.to/3PgaHRM [https://amzn.to/3PgaHRM] * Bridenbaugh, Carl: Seat of Empire, https://amzn.to/42WMhQn [https://amzn.to/42WMhQn] 0:00 The Virginia Golden Age 2:51 The Refinement of Virginia and Creation of the Virginia Gentleman 4:39 How Architecture Supported the Gentry's Pre-Eminence 6:54 The Inheritors: How Merchants Became Gentlemen 10:20 Virginia Hospitality 11:49 How Plantations and Local Leadership Built the Great Virginia Statesmen 19:02 The House of Burgesses, The Training Ground of the Founders 23:48 The Dire Economic Reality In Colonial Virginia 28:43 How Virginia's Culture Was Refined 29:45 Liberty and Duty: Why the Founding Grew Out of Virginia 34:34 The Golden Age Fractures 38:26 The Sun Sets on Colonial Virginia, and Rises on a Republic They Built