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The only account of this event was written by Smith many years after it was supposed to have taken place and Smith has been proven to have invented many stories to make himself and his experiences seem more adventurous and exciting. He also claimed to have been saved from a similar execution at the hands of Turks by the teenage daughter of a Turkish king - does this sound familiar?

If the event really did happen (and we only have the word of Smith that it did), he may have completely misunderstood what was happening. Some experts believe that it was not an execution at all, but part of a religious adoption ceremony in which Smith was made the "son" of chief Powhatan, with Pocahontas pretending to save him from harm at the crucial moment. For Smith, who would have no comprehension of what was going on, it might have all seemed real.

Since nobody took pains to record in detail the religious ceremonies of the Powhatan people, we can never know the truth, but we do know that anything Smith wrote must be treated as suspect.

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Coby Schumm

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2y ago

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The only account of this event was written by Smith many years after it was supposed to have taken place and Smith has been proven to have invented many stories to make himself and his experiences seem more adventurous and exciting. He also claimed to have been saved from a similar execution at the hands of Turks by the teenage daughter of a Turkish king - does this sound familiar?

If the event really did happen (and we only have the word of Smith that it did), he may have completely misunderstood what was happening. Some experts believe that it was not an execution at all, but part of a religious adoption ceremony in which Smith was made the "son" of chief Powhatan, with Pocahontas pretending to save him from harm at the crucial moment. For Smith, who would have no comprehension of what was going on, it might have all seemed real.

Since nobody took pains to record in detail the religious ceremonies of the Powhatan people, we can never know the truth, but we do know that anything Smith wrote must be treated as suspect.

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Wiki User

13y ago
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John Smith and his exploration team trespassed on paramount lands.

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Anonymous

4y ago
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its because he didnt like him

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Anonymous

4y ago
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Q: Why did chief Powhatan wants to kill John Smith?
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