Englishmen under the command of Thomas Hunt kidnap about 20 Wampanoag Indians along the coast of what is now Massachusetts and sail to Spain. There Hunt begins to sell his captives, until priests stop him and take over the care of the Indians, whom they try to convert to Catholicism. Among those taken in by the priests is a young man named Squanto. During the next five years Squanto will travel to London, where he will become fluent in English and knowledgeable in British ways. After his return to North America in 1619, his experiences will allow him to help colonists of Plymouth adapt to their new environment (see entry for MARCH 1621).
Dutch traders arrive in what is now New York State.
Four Dutch firms merge to form the United New Netherlands Trading Company. The company receives a royal charter that grants the firm a monopoly on lands claimed by the Dutch crown in what is now New York State. The charter allows Dutch traders to begin taking advantage of the lucrative Indian fur trade in northeastern North America.
Pocahontas marries John Rolfe.
With the permission of the powerful Indian leader Powhatan, John Rolfe, a wealthy Jamestown settler (see entry for 1612), marries Powhatan’s daughter Pocahontas (see entries for DECEMBER 1607 and SPRING 1613) in a Christian ceremony. The wedding is primarily an act of diplomacy, symbolizing a truce between the Powhatan Indians and the English. While it is unknown whether Pocahontas entered the union voluntarily, the marriage produces one child, Thomas Rolfe. For many generations, prominent families in Virginia will trace their ancestries back to Thomas Rolfe and proudly claim Pocahontas as an ancestor (see entry for 1924).
World History
