Query: Pocahontas had a relationship with a Portuguese settlement.

Relevant passages:
Virginia <=SEP=> Virginia ( -LSB- vɚˈdʒɪnjə -RSB- , -LSB- vɚˈdʒɪni.ə -RSB- , officially the Commonwealth of Virginia ) is a state located on the Atlantic Coast of the United States . The state is part of both the Southern United States , as well as the Mid-Atlantic . Virginia is nicknamed the `` Old Dominion '' due to its status as the first colonial possession established in mainland British America , and `` Mother of Presidents '' because eight U.S. presidents were born there , more than any other state . The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are shaped by the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Chesapeake Bay , which provide habitat for much of its flora and fauna . The capital of the Commonwealth is Richmond ; Virginia Beach is the most populous city , and Fairfax County is the most populous political subdivision . The Commonwealth 's estimated population is over 8.3 million .   The area 's history begins with several indigenous groups , including the Powhatan . In 1607 the London Company established the Colony of Virginia as the first permanent New World English colony . Slave labor and the land acquired from displaced Native American tribes each played a significant role in the colony 's early politics and plantation economy . Virginia was one of the 13 Colonies in the American Revolution and joined the Confederacy in the American Civil War , during which Richmond was made the Confederate capital and Virginia 's northwestern counties seceded to form the state of West Virginia . Although the Commonwealth was under one-party rule for nearly a century following Reconstruction , both major national parties are competitive in modern Virginia .   The Virginia General Assembly is the oldest continuous law-making body in the New World . The state government was ranked most effective by the Pew Center on the States in both 2005 and 2008 . It is unique in how it treats cities and counties equally , manages local roads , and prohibits its governors from serving consecutive terms . Virginia 's economy has many sectors : agriculture in the Shenandoah Valley ; federal agencies in Northern Virginia , including the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense and Central Intelligence Agency ( CIA ) ; and military facilities in Hampton Roads , the site of the region 's main seaport . Virginia 's economy changed from primarily agricultural to industrial during the 1960s and 1970s , and in 2002 computer chips became the state 's leading export by monetary value .

Pocahontas <=SEP=> Pocahontas ( born Matoaka , known as Amonute , 1596 -- 1617 ) was a Native American woman notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown , Virginia . Pocahontas was the daughter of Powhatan , the paramount chief of a network of tributary tribal nations in the Tsenacommacah , encompassing the Tidewater region of Virginia . In a well-known historical anecdote , she is said to have saved the life of a captive of the Native Americans , the Englishman John Smith , in 1607 by placing her head upon his own when her father raised his war club to execute him . Some historians have suggested that this story , as told by Smith , is untrue .   Pocahontas was captured by the English during Anglo-Indian hostilities in 1613 , and held for ransom . During her captivity , she converted to Christianity and took the name Rebecca . When the opportunity arose for her to return to her people , she chose to remain with the English . In April 1614 , she married tobacco planter John Rolfe , and in January 1615 , bore their son , Thomas Rolfe .   In 1616 , the Rolfes traveled to London . Pocahontas was presented to English society as an example of the `` civilized savage '' in hopes of stimulating investment in the Jamestown settlement . She became something of a celebrity , was elegantly fêted , and attended a masque at Whitehall Palace . In 1617 , the Rolfes set sail for Virginia , but Pocahontas died at Gravesend of unknown causes . She was buried in a church in Gravesend in the United Kingdom , but the exact location of her grave is unknown .   Numerous places , landmarks , and products in the United States have been named after Pocahontas . Her story has been romanticized over the years , and she is a subject of art , literature , and film . Many famous people have claimed to be among her descendants through her son Thomas , including members of the First Families of Virginia , First Lady Edith Wilson , American Western actor Glenn Strange , and astronomer Percival Lowell .