On this day in 1607 Chief Powhatan spared John Smith’s life

December 29th, 1607: Indian chief Powhatan, according to some accounts, spares John Smith’s life after the pleas of his daughter Pocahontas.

Captain John Smith gave different accounts of his 1607 captivity by Powhatan. His original journals did not mention a rescue by Pocahontas, but later accounts did. Some scholars think that the Pocahontas story was a complete fabrication, while others believe that it may have been true but that he misunderstood the situation. Since there were no other English witnesses, and Powhatan left no account, the controversy is unlikely to be resolved. More.

The scene as depicted in the Terrence Malick film, “The New World.”

See more events from December 29th through time: http://www.historynet.com/today-in-history