Why did Pocahontas help James Smith?

Well, she didn't. She helped JOHN Smith. And her name was not actually Pocahontas- that was a nickname that means "little playful one". Her actual name was Matoaca. As far as her motive, there is a lot of discussion about that. At the time of the event, she was still a young girl, not in her teens, so romance is probably not the answer. There is a belief that Cpt. Smith was not in danger, but was undergoing a ritual adoption ceremony, and she played her assigned role in the ritual. But it does make for good discussion. What do YOU think? PS- do some reading about her, and ignore the Disney cartoon. That is more of a fairy tale than a true story.