Edward Norton Pocahontas

In a new episode of the PBS show Finding Your Roots, an investigation into Norton's genealogy discovered that Pocahontas, one of the most widely portrayed (and ...

She was the daughter of Wahunsenaca (Chief Powhatan), the mamanatowick (paramount chief) of the Powhatan Chiefdom. The Finding Your Roots episode featuring Norton, which aired on Tuesday, also included a dive into the family history of actor Julia Roberts. She converted to Christianity and was baptized. John Smith, who wrote in his journals that she placed her head on top of his so that he could not be killed. She is most famous for reportedly stopping the execution of Capt. Gates, who has hosted the show since its 2012 premiere, told Norton that a “paper trail” led genealogists to the discovery.

Norton, who thought it was just a family rumor, learned that, in fact, he has Powhatan blood.

“It’s a judgment on the history of this country and it needs to be contended with,” he added. “You have a direct paper trail,” Mr. Gates asked, to which Norton replied, “The short answer is these things are uncomfortable. To Norton’s surprise, his connection to Pocahontas wasn’t the only thing he would learn about his past. “Pocahontas is indeed your 12th great grandma,” historian Henry Louis Gates Jr. During an appearance on the PBS’ Finding Your Roots — a show about ancestral histories of celebrity guests — Norton, who thought it was just a family rumor, learned that, in fact, he has Powhatan blood.

Edward Norton has made the discovery that his 12th great-grandmother is the legendary historical figure Pocahontas on an episode of 'Finding Your Roots'

[some of his ancestors were slave owners](https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/barbados-seeking-reparation-from-benedict-cumberbatch-family/), and later, he asked Norton how he felt about the news, to which Norton replied, “The short answer is these things are uncomfortable. Pocahontas was part of the Powhatan people, who were acknowledged for their association with a colony in Jamestown, Virginia. The actor made an appearance in an episode of season nine of Finding Your Roots this week, in which it was revealed that his ancestor is the legendary historical figure.

Actor Edward Norton recently discovered that Native American woman Pocahontas is his 12th great grandmother.

“It's not a judgment on you in your own life, but it's a judgment on the history of this country, and it needs to be acknowledged first and foremost and then it needs to be contended with.” She is his 12th great-grandmother, PBS host Henry Louis Gates Jr. Apparently, the 53-year-old actor is a descendant of Powhatan woman Pocahontas. Born at the tail end of the 1590s and living into the early 1600s, Pocahontas is well-known for her involvement with the early English settlement in Jamestown, Virginia, and for saving the life of John Smith, according to legend. “Pocahontas died sometime in March 1617 in Grave's End, England, and John Rolfe died around March 1622.” On an episode of the PBS program, Finding Your Roots, the host Henry Louis Gates Jr.

American actor Edward Norton has discovered that the real-life Pocahontas is his 12th great-grandmother.

And you should be uncomfortable with them." Legend holds that she saved the life of Captain John Smith, stopping his execution by laying her head upon his. "It just makes you realize what a small ... "It's not a judgment on you in your own life but it's a judgment on the history of this country and it needs to be acknowledged first and foremost and then it needs to be contended with." According to Gates, the couple married on April 5, 1614 in Jamestown, Virginia -- at a time when William Shakespeare was still alive. Historian and host Henry Louis Gates Jr.

The Oscar-nominated star learned of his family connection to the woman who married Virginia settler John Rolfe on Tuesday's episode of the PBS genealogical ...

Actor stunned to find his twelfth great-grandmother was Pocahontas, the iconic Native American daughter of the Great Powhatan.

Metro added when Ed was shown a photo of a husband and wife, along with their five daughters, and told they were owned as slaves by his ancestors, the actor said: “Everybody should be uncomfortable with it. Article content

The Oscar-nominated star learned of his family connection to the woman who married Virginia settler John Rolfe on Tuesday's episode of the PBS genealogical ...