Final answer:
Pocahontas aided the early Virginians by intervening to protect John Smith, marrying John Rolfe, which helped establish peace and trade between the English and the Powhatan people, and converting to Christianity, becoming a symbolic figure of cooperation.
Step-by-step explanation:
Pocahontas played a significant role in the early years of the Jamestown colony by fostering peace between the English settlers and the Powhatan people. Her most well-known contribution is the famous rescue of Captain John Smith, which cemented her as a figure of peace in colonial history. Additionally, her marriage to John Rolfe in 1614, which the Powhatan leader approved of, marked an important step toward establishing peaceful relations and trade between the two groups, ending the First Anglo-Powhatan War.
During her captivity by the English, Pocahontas was instructed in Christianity, baptized as Rebecca, and chose to stay with the English, which relieved her father from any obligation to meet the English demands. Her choice to remain with the colonists and conversion to Christianity were seen as a symbol of Anglo-Powhatan cooperation, leading to a period of relative peace and trade. Furthermore, her visit to England with her husband was used to promote the English colonization efforts and the conversion of indigenous people to Christianity. Unfortunately, Pocahontas's life ended prematurely when she fell ill and died in England in 1617.