Chinese, Cantonese (Sinitic) Note: Cantonese is a tonal language. Pronunciations provided below include numbers indicating tone. Tone 1 is high and level/falling; 2 is medium and rising; 3 is medium and level; 4 is low and falling; 5 is low and rising, 6 is low and level. The characters shown are Traditional Chinese characters.
John Rolfe. John Rolfe played a pivotal role in the early development of the American colonies. His success as a farmer had significant financial impact, and his marriage to Pocahontas solidified shaky relations with local Indians for several years. While Rolfe was not a famous figure of his time, his life and work helped shape the future of the American colonies in many ways.
John Rolfe arrived in Jamestown along with 150 other settlers in 1610, as part of a new charter organized by the Virginia Company. He began experimenting with growing tobacco, eventually using seeds grown in the West Indies to develop Virginiaâs first profitable export. In 1614, Rolfe married the daughter of a local Native American chieftain, Matoaka (better known by her childhood nickname, Pocahontas), who had been taken captive by the English settlers and converted to Christianity.