John Rolfe

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John Rolfe

John Rolfe , 1585-1622, English colonist in Virginia. He reached the colony in May, 1610, and introduced (1612) the regular cultivation of tobacco, which became Virginia's staple. A widower, he fell in love with and married (1614) Pocahontas , daughter of the Native American chief Powhatan . They went to England in 1616, and there she died (1617). He returned to Virginia, remarried, and held several offices. He was probably killed in the Native American massacre of 1622.

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Rolfe, John

The Oxford Companion to American Literature | 1995 | | Â© The Oxford Companion to American Literature 1995, originally published by Oxford University Press 1995. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

Rolfe, John (1585–1622), English‐born colonist, came to Virginia (1609), where he was a leading cultivator of tobacco, and instrumental in making it Virginia's staple commodity. He fell in love with Pocahontas, daughter of a leading Indian chief, and his marriage to her (1614) ensured peace with the Indians for several years. While on a voyage to England his wife died (1617), and he returned to become a colonial official. In 1622 the Indians destroyed his home, and he seems to have died at their hands. He wrote a description of Virginia for the king, first printed in the Southern Literary Messenger (June 1839), and is a figure in J.E. Cooke's novel My Lady Pokahontas (1885) and other fiction about his wife.

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James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Rolfe, John." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. Oxford University Press. 1995. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Dec. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Rolfe, John." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. Oxford University Press. 1995. Encyclopedia.com. (December 1, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O123-RolfeJohn.html

James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Rolfe, John." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. Oxford University Press. 1995. Retrieved December 01, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O123-RolfeJohn.html

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	Rolfe's 2 goals lead Fire to 3-1 win over Galaxy News Wire article from: AP Online; 9/26/2008
	The Baptism of Pocahontas.(John Rolfe) Magazine article from: The Magazine Antiques; 1/1/2009
	Shortly after mounting the world premiere of James Rolfe.(Artists on Stage) Magazine article from: Opera Canada; 6/22/2009

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