Take-Home Script: Friends and Foes
Friends and Foes: The Powhatan Indians and the
Jamestown Colony, 1609-1622
By Debra J. Housel
Characters
Narrator
George Dutton
Pocahontas
John Rolfe
Powhatan
William Brownfield
Setting
This reader’s theater takes place in the colony at Jamestown
between 1609 and 1619. This story is based on actual events.
Act 1
Narrator:
In August 1609, a ship comes to Jamestown. It brings 600
people from England. They arrive without food. The next
month the colony’s leader, Captain John Smith, has an
accident.
George:
I can’t believe that John Smith is returning to England!
William:
He needs to recuperate. It’s in his best interest.
George:
Well it certainly is not in ours. I don’t know what will become
of us without him.
Narrator:
After John Smith leaves, Pocahontas comes for him. The
colonists decide to tell her that John Smith is dead.
Pocahontas:
Where is John Smith? My father, Powhatan, wants to see
him.
George:
He is dead.
Pocahontas:
Oh, no! What happened?
George:
He was killed in a gunpowder accident.
Narrator:
Pocahontas returns to her father with the bad news.
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Powhatan:
Why did you not return with John Smith?
Pocahontas:
Father, he is dead.
Powhatan:
Dead! Well, no one else in that tribe has the courage or
intelligence of a werowance. Now that John Smith is gone, I
shall destroy the colony.
Pocahontas:
Father, please don’t do that. The colonists are my friends!
Powhatan:
I lost my patience long ago with the pale men and their lies.
The only one I had any respect for was John Smith. The rest
are as treacherous as poisonous snakes, and we must rid
our land of them.
Pocahontas:
Then I will warn them!
Powhatan:
No, you will not. I have arranged for you to live with another
tribe. I forbid you to go to Jamestown ever again!
Narrator:
Powhatan orders his braves to attack the colony. They kill
60 settlers.
George:
I am so weary of these attacks. We barely dare leave our
fort to hunt and fish.
William:
Our relationship with the Indians has gone steadily downhill
ever since Captain Smith left.
George:
He got the Indians to provide us with enough food to get us
through our first two winters. Now we face another winter
with more people than ever and absolutely no way to feed
them.
Poem: Trouble
Act 2
Narrator:
That winter, 90 percent of the colonists die. By June 1610,
only 60 remain.
George:
I wish I’d never come here.
William:
Between the Indian attacks and the lack of food, our lives are
unbearable.
George:
Look! I see sails on the horizon!
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William:
It must be a supply ship! We are saved! Hurray!
Narrator:
But the ship does not have supplies. It has 150 people.
They have already eaten all the food that had been on
board.
George:
Now there are 210 mouths to feed and no food—how will we
ever survive?
William:
Even if we find a way to get through the summer, I don’t feel
confident that our fall harvest will keep so many fed next
winter.
George:
We must admit that Jamestown is a failure. We have never
found any gold or silver as the Virginia Company chartered
us to do, and because we are not profitable, they have
stopped sending us supplies.
William:
They have left us here to die.
George:
Well, I do not intend to stay here and die. I say we return to
England!
Narrator:
The colonists leave the colony. They set sail for England on
June 7, 1610. After one day at sea, they meet another ship.
It is headed for Jamestown. It holds 300 people, a new
governor, and lots of food. So they turn and go back.
George:
I finally feel hopeful again.
William:
It’s good to have a leader once more. I hope that Lord De La
Warr knows what he’s doing.
Act 3
Pocahontas:
The new colonists are aggressive toward the Indians. As a
result, the relationship with the Powhatan Indians
deteriorates more and more each day.
Powhatan:
The white men have no respect for others. I wish they had
never come to this land. Perhaps if we raid their village often
enough, they will leave as they had promised to do years
ago. All braves have my permission to attack at will.
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Narrator:
Some colonists are shocked when other settlers attack a
nearby Indian village.
George:
Oh, no! I can’t believe it!
William:
As if things weren’t bad enough with the Indians before this!
The governor has no control over these men. If he did, he
would have kept them from doing such a terrible thing.
George:
We are Englishmen—not savages! It’s one thing to kill the
men. It’s another to kill every woman and child, too!
William:
I fear we will pay with our lives for this heinous act.
Narrator:
When Powhatan hears of the massacre of one of his tribes,
he is furious.
Powhatan:
They killed every woman and child! They are beasts. How
dare they call themselves men when they behave in such a
manner? This means war!
Narrator:
Now the fighting is constant, and many die on both sides.
The colonists do not dare to leave the fort to hunt, fish, or
even tend to their crops.
William:
We can’t go on like this! If we do, we’ll face starvation again.
George:
The Indians are holding some of our strongest men hostage.
William:
Well, we are keeping Indian prisoners, too. I hope
something can be done to restore a peaceful relationship
with Powhatan!
Act 4
Narrator:
Things are so bad—Captain Samuel Argall does not dare to
anchor his ship off Jamestown. Instead, he sails up the
coast. In April 1613, he and John Rolfe invite Pocahontas to
his ship for a meal.
Pocahontas:
John, please thank your captain for inviting me to dine with
you.
John Rolfe:
The pleasure was ours, Pocahontas. We’re so glad you
enjoyed the meal. Would you like to rest before you return to
shore?
Pochontas:
Yes, thank you.
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Narrator:
When Pocahontas wakes up, she finds that she is a
prisoner.
Pocahontas:
Return me to my people immediately! This is not the way to
end the warfare. Powhatan will be enraged when he hears
that you are holding me hostage.
John Rolfe:
Don’t worry. We won’t hurt you. We just want Powhatan to
give back our prisoners and stop attacking Jamestown.
Narrator:
The prisoners are exchanged. But Pocahontas is not freed.
Over the course of a year, Pocahontas learns about
Christianity from her captors.
Pocahontas:
I would like to be baptized with the Christian name Rebecca.
John Rolfe:
The only thing that could make me happier than your
baptism is if you agree to marry me.
Pocahontas:
I would be honored to be your wife, John. Let me send word
to my father and ask him to bless our marriage.
Powhatan:
Pocahontas says that she loves him and wants to be his
wife. What can I do? I want her to be happy, and maybe it
would be good to declare peace with these people. Perhaps
through their marriage we can all live together without
bloodshed. I shall send my blessings.
Act 5
Narrator:
John Rolfe marries Pocahontas in April 1614. He takes her
to live on his tobacco plantation.
Pocahontas:
John, the reason you’re having so much trouble with the
tobacco is that you don’t understand how to cultivate it. My
people have grown tobacco for hundreds of years. Let me
show you how.
John Rolfe:
Someday when this is a cash crop, I will build you a beautiful
home.
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Pocahontas:
Home is wherever you and our child are.
John Rolfe:
Child?
Pocahontas:
Yes. We’re going to be parents!
Narrator:
In April 1615, Pocahontas gives birth to Thomas.
John Rolfe:
Pocahontas, I want you and Thomas to sail with me to
London.
Pocahontas:
Why?
John Rolfe:
It is peaceful here now in this wonderful New World, and if
the people in London meet you, they will see that Indians are
beautiful and intelligent. They will not be afraid and will
come make their homes here. Also, I want to promote our
tobacco. If we can generate more interest in it, we will
become rich.
Pocahontas:
I am happy to be wherever you are. We will go with you.
Act 6
Narrator:
In the fall of 1617, a ship anchors in Jamestown. John Rolfe
walks down the gangplank alone.
George:
John, I’m glad to see you! Where are Pocahontas and
Thomas?
John Rolfe:
My wife became very ill in England. She died as we were on
our way back here. I had to bury her in Gravesend. My son
was ill, too, and I feared for his life. He was not well enough
to survive a long ocean voyage, so I left him with my brother
and his wife.
William:
I’m sorry for your loss.
George:
Why didn’t you wait until Thomas recovered before you
returned?
John Rolfe:
I must operate my plantation. The people of London have
great interest in tobacco. And it is best that Thomas is
raised with a mother and a father.
William:
What did the people of London think of Pocahontas?
John Rolfe:
Pocahontas conducted herself as a princess. Everywhere
we went, people were impressed with her beauty and royal
bearing. I took her to see the king and the queen. They
found her delightful.
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George:
Did Pocahontas like England?
John Rolfe:
Pocahontas fell in love with London. She didn’t want to
come back. She wanted to live there forever. Are things still
peaceful here in the colonies?
George:
Yes. Powhatan is keeping his word, and we have suffered
no Indian attacks since your marriage.
Act 7
Narrator:
Powhatan is getting old and weak. While he is dying, he
turns over leadership to his brother, Openchancanough.
Powhatan:
Openchancanough, I am going farther inland to live out my
final days. I trust you with the leadership of our people. I
want you to honor the peace I established when Pocahontas
married John. Remember that these are now my daughter
and grandson’s people. So unless they provoke you, don’t
start a fight. Try to live in peace.
Narrator:
Openchancanough hates the colonists. When Powhatan
dies in April 1618, he leads an attack on Jamestown.
William:
It looks like the Peace of Pocahontas is over.
George:
Yes.
William:
We’ve suffered heavy losses.
George:
It was so unexpected! There was no warning.
William:
I just heard that John Rolfe was killed in the raid.
George:
If Pocahontas were alive, she would be horrified that her own
people killed the man she loved.
William:
And now her son is an orphan. I wonder if he will ever see
the land where he was born.
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George:
You’d do better to wonder how we are going to survive now
that the Indians are no longer our friends.
Narrator:
The werowance comes up with a new plan. He tells his
people to befriend the colonists.
George:
I can’t believe that after that attack, the chief would send
food to our village. Do you think he can be trusted?
William:
No. I don’t dare to eat any of it. I’ll bet it’s poisoned.
George:
I don’t see as we have much choice. There are still more
mouths to feed than there is food to go around.
Act 8
Narrator:
The year 1619 is a good one for Jamestown. Peace is
restored and a bumper crop is grown.
George:
I never thought I’d see the day when we’d have more than
enough food for ourselves and there would be extra to sell.
William:
It’s amazing after all the years when we didn’t even think
we’d survive—let alone thrive.
George:
I’m proud that we were asked to represent our neighbors in
the House of Burgesses.
William:
Considering that we’ve been here since the start of the
colony, it was appropriate to select us.
Narrator:
Twenty-two men meet in the first representative legislature in
America. On July 30, 1619, they choose an official great
seal and make tax laws. Six weeks later, a Dutch slave ship
sails into port.
George:
I wonder why Governor Sir George Yeardley exchanged a
ship full of food for 60 Africans.
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William:
He says they are needed to work on the tobacco plantations.
Tobacco is our most profitable crop by far. Remember, this
whole venture began because the Virginia Company wanted
profits.
George:
How can I forget?
William:
If these new Africans work hard, the plantation owners will
become incredibly rich.
George:
It might be difficult to make them work when they don’t know
our language. Are they slaves?
William:
No. They were baptized on the ship during the voyage.
That makes them Christians and therefore they cannot be
slaves. They are indentured servants.
George:
How long must they work to earn their freedom?
William:
About 25 years.
Narrator:
Even with the extra hands to work the fields, Jamestown
cannot produce enough tobacco to keep up with the demand
in England. The community exports Indian corn and hogs,
too. The colony starts to prosper. More and more labor is
needed, resulting in the use of slaves.
All:
Jamestown’s turnaround comes too late for the Virginia
Company, which goes bankrupt in 1624. Openchancanough
starts a war with the colonists on March 22, 1622. The
fighting drags on for 12 years with heavy loss of life on both
sides. In 1634, Openchancanough is killed. Without him,
the Powhatan Indian tribes scatter. In 1635, Thomas Rolfe
comes to Virginia to claim his father’s plantation as well as
thousands of acres left to him by Powhatan. Growing and
exporting tobacco make him one of the wealthiest men in the
New World.
Song: Friends or Foes
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Take-Home Script: Friends and Foes
TROUBLE
Trouble, trouble, we’ve got trouble.
Trouble coming on the double.
No food to eat, dangers abound,
Only trouble can be found.
John Smith is gone; we think he’s dead.
Trouble is alive instead.
We’ve made the Indians more than mad.
Everything’s gone from good to bad.
There’s trouble here, and it’s here to stay.
Trouble by night, and trouble by day.
There’s nowhere left to turn and hide.
Better to shut ourselves inside.
Trouble, trouble, everywhere trouble.
Our lives have turned to ash and rubble.
Trouble’s ahead, and trouble’s behind.
Look there! Trouble’s all you’ll find.
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FRIENDS OR FOES
These are desperate times we all agree
Here in the Jamestown Colony
More mouths to feed than food to go around
And with winter time around the bend
No time for planting crops my friend
This fighting’s turned the whole place upside down
Are you friend or foe
Powhatan wants to know
And the harvest isn’t nearly what we planned
It seems quite clear
We surely can’t stay here
I propose we all sail back to England
Well, the fighting lasted many years
The losses on both sides severe
But, the Jamestown Colony began to thrive
They would look back on those troubled years
Proud that they had persevered
Had the courage and conviction to survive
We’ll plant those seeds
The colonists agreed
The harvest is even more than what we planned
It seems quite clear we’re glad we all stayed here
And helped to form the future of this land
Repeat verse 4
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Glossary
baptize—to pour water on a person’s head or immerse them in water as a
sign that the person has become a Christian
bumper crop—an unusually abundant harvest
captor—the person holding another person(s) hostage
chartered—ordered to do certain duties
cultivate—grow or develop
disintegrate—fall apart
gangplank—a short bridge or piece of word used for boarding or leaving a
ship
heinous—wicked; evil
hostage—a captive held as a prisoner
indentured servant—a person who must work a set number of years to pay
for their passage to the New World
massacre—the brutal killing of many people at one time
Opechancanough—Powhatan’s brother who became the supreme leader of
the Powhatan Indian tribes upon his death
Pocahontas—the favorite daughter of Powhatan
Powhatan—a group of 30 Indian tribes in the Virginia area in the 16th and
17th centuries; also the name of the supreme leader of these tribes
recuperate—to slowly recover from an illness or injury
treacherous—not to be trusted; disloyal
Virginia Company—a group of investors that put up the money for supplies
in expectation of making a profit
venture—a project that involves risk
werowance—the chief of a tribe
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