John Rolfe's Ambitious English Settlers

John Rolfe was one of the early ambitious English settlers of the New World. During Rolfe’s existence, he had sailed for the New World only to find Jamestown, Virginia’s settlers undergo with winter famine. Rolfe is accredited with the bountiful development of tobacco as an export crop in Jamestown and is recognized as the spouse of Matoaka, otherwise known as Pocahontas, the chief 's daughter of the Powhatan Alliance. John Rolfe would define success as a triumphant cultivator of tobacco and arbiter between the English colonists and Powhatan tribe. John Rolfe Junior was born in Norfolk, England around 1585. He was the offspring of John Rolfe Senior and Dorothea Mason. The earliest documentation on Rolfe Jr. was in 1608, in regards when he joined the Virginia Company to set sail for the New World on the Sea Adventure. He was …show more content…
With that money, he purchased twenty slaves to work on the plantations from the White Lion and four days later, an additional unknown amount of slaves from the Treasurer. He also remarried for the third time to Joane Pearce in 1620, then had another daughter, Elizabeth Rolfe in 1621. A year later, Rolfe inscribed his will and stated himself, "of James City in Virginia Esquire being sick in body, but of perfect mind and memory," then died months afterward (Salmon). It is still vague whether Rolfe departed in an Indian slaughter, or as a consequence of severe illness. His name remained significant through Joane, Elizabeth, and Thomas. John Rolfe would define success as a triumphant cultivator of tobacco and peacemaker between the English colonist and Powhatan tribe. His efforts to save the colony through raising tobacco crops and marriage with Pocahontas; together they influenced England to continue colonization. Without him, the colony of Jamestown would have died of famine or by a Powhatan tribe