John Rolfe
John Rolfe (c. 1585 – March 1622) was an English explorer, farmer and merchant. He is best known for being the husband of Pocahontas and the first settler in the colony of Virginia to successfully cultivate a tobacco crop for export.
John Rolfe | |
|---|---|
A posthumous painting of John Rolfe and Pocahontas made c. 1850 | |
| Born | c. 1585 Heacham, Norfolk, England |
| Died | March 1622 (aged 36–37) Varina Farms, Virginia |
| Occupation(s) | Farmer, merchant, explorer |
| Known for | Being the husband of Pocahontas and the first settler in the colony of Virginia to successfully cultivate a tobacco crop for export |
| Spouses | Sarah Hacker
(m. 1608; died 1610)Pocahontas
(m. 1614; died 1617)Jane Pierce
(m. 1619) |
| Children | Bermuda Rolfe (1609–1610) Thomas Rolfe (1615–1680) Elizabeth Rolfe (1620–1635) |
He played a crucial role in the Virginia Colony's early economy by introducing a sweeter strain of tobacco from Trinidad, which became a profitable cash crop. Rolfe married Pocahontas, daughter of Native American leader Powhatan, and they had a son named Thomas. Rolfe and Pocahontas traveled to England in 1616 to promote colonization and investment in Virginia. After Pocahontas died, Rolfe returned to Virginia and continued working with tobacco. The tobacco strain cultivated by Rolfe laid the foundation for Virginia's thriving tobacco industry.