Summary: Pocahontas was a Native American woman who became a symbol of the New World to English eyes. During the colonisation of Virginia in the early 17th century, Pocahontas was captured by the English, converted to Christianity, married a settler and travelled to England where she was regarded as a curiosity. She died in 1617 aged 22 and was buried in Gravesend; her story has fascinated generations on both sides of the Atlantic and has been reinterpreted by many writers and artists. Melvyn Bragg is joined by Susan Castillo, Harriet Beecher Stowe Emeritus Professor of American Studies at King's College London; Tim Lockley, Reader in American Studies at the University of Warwick and Jacqueline Fear-Segal, Reader in American History and Culture at the University of East Anglia.
