Who Was The First Native American To Be Honored On A U.S. Stamp?
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The first Native American to be honored on a U.S. stamp was Pocahontas. The stamp, released in 1907, commemorated the 300th anniversary of the Jamestown Settlement in Virginia, where Pocahontas is believed to have saved the life of English explorer Captain John Smith in 1607.
Pocahontas, born in 1595 in what is now Virginia, was the daughter of Powhatan, the chief of the Algonquin Indians. She is known for her assistance to the settlers at the Jamestown colony in 1607 when she saved the life of John Smith, who had been captured by her father’s people.
Pocahontas was later captured by the English and lived with them for awhile, eventually marrying John Rolfe and traveling to England where she was presented to the court of King James I. She died in 1617 at the age of 22 and was buried in a church in Gravesend, England.
In 2007, the U.S. Postal Service re-released Pocahontas’ stamp to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Jamestown Settlement. The stamp, designed by artist Sherl Joseph Winter, was the first U.S. stamp to feature a member of the Native American population.
Pocahontas has been memorialized in numerous ways throughout U.S. history, from statues in Richmond, Virginia, to modern movies based on her story. Her legacy is honored on the U.S. issued stamp, an enduring reminder of her place in American history.