*While reading this biography on Captain John Smith, underline facts that might be
useful in your own narrative about Jamestown.
Captain John Smith
Captain John Smith was a soldier, an explorer, and a writer. He helped establish
the first permanent English colony in North America. This colony was a success mainly
because of Smith's leadership skills.
Smith was born in Willoughby, England, around 1580. He attended school and
worked on a farm until he joined the army at the age of 15. He fought in several battles
and was promoted to the rank of captain while fighting in Hungary. He was fighting
against the Turks in Eastern Europe when he was captured and sold into slavery. He
escaped and returned to England. After returning to England, Smith signed up with the
Virginia Company of London to help start a new colony in North America. The company
believed there was gold and silver in the Americas that could be brought back to
England for profit. The colonists were to establish a colony to send the riches back to
England.
Smith's ship landed in Virginia in 1607, and the group started a settlement called
Jamestown. Jamestown grew to be the first permanent English settlement in North
America. The first years at Jamestown were difficult. Disease, lack of food, and attacks
by American Indians threatened the new settlement. Many of the settlers were not used
to hard labor and the rough conditions. Smith, however, was well suited for the hard
work and adventure. He did a lot of exploring along the Virginia coastline and
Chesapeake Bay. He even learned the language of the American Indians in the area.
Smith was the governor of the Jamestown Colony from 1608 to 1609. He improved
the conditions at Jamestown by teaching the colonists to support themselves and by
trading with the American Indians in the area. Smith was strict with the colonists and
tough on the American Indians, who feared Smith and hated the settlers. They made
few attacks while Smith was in charge. In 1609, Smith was hurt in a gunpowder
accident and was forced to return to England for treatment. After Smith left, Jamestown
came under heavy attack by American Indians. The food supplies ran out, but the
settlement survived.
Smith sailed back to North America in 1614. He explored parts of what are today the
states of Maine and Massachusetts. He named these areas New England. After this
trip, Smith returned to England, where he lived the rest of his life. In his later years,
Smith wrote many books about his experiences in North America. In these books, he
stressed the importance of fish, animal skins, and forestry resources in North America.
He felt that the search for gold and silver by the Virginia Company overlooked these
simple, valuable resources. He also pointed out that the people chosen to colonize
North America should be strong and willing to work hard. In one of his books, Smith also
describes meeting Pocahontas. He tells about being captured by Chief Powhatan and
how Pocahontas saved his life. Captain John Smith died in London in June 1631 at the
age of 51.
*Text copied from this website:
http://www.harcourtschool.com/hss/biographies/smith/