Summary: The New World tells the story of the early years of English settlement in America, focusing on the relationship between the Native Americans and the Jamestown settlers, particularly through the lens of the relationship between Pocahontas and John Smith.
Foundational Historical Facts:
- The Jamestown colony, founded in 1607, was the first permanent English settlement in North America, although it faced numerous challenges including disease, starvation, and conflicts with indigenous tribes.
- Pocahontas, a Native American woman, is known for her association with John Smith and her later marriage to John Rolfe, which helped establish a brief period of peace between the Powhatan people and English settlers.
- The early encounters between the Native Americans and European settlers often led to misunderstandings, violence, and significant cultural changes, especially with the arrival of European diseases that decimated indigenous populations.