Dong 1 Tina Dong Dr. Drago United States History 12 October 2021 Primary Source Presentation Analysis The primary source, “Speech to Captain John Smith,” was delivered by Powhatan, father of Pocahontas and leader of the Powhatan tribe, to Captain John Smith in 1609, who later recorded it. Around that time, the English had just arrived in Jamestown and they were struggling to survive with limited access to resources. The colonists heavily relied on trade with the Indians for food since their focus was on finding gold. In this source, Powhatan discloses his feelings about the uncertain relationship between the natives and the settlers, and pleads for Captain Smith to consider peace over war and violence. He explains to Smith that he is getting old and how he hopes Smith will maintain the diplomatic relationship with the native tribes. Powhatan lists several reasons to encourage the settlers to choose peace while warning that violence would not benefit either side. His speech is a reaction to several previous occurrences between the natives and the settlers. Smith had been living and interacting closely with local Indians, and was familiar with their intentions and beliefs. However, as he had written this after the encounter, it is possible that he could have missed a few details, or purposefully omitted them because of personal biases, viewpoints, and clash of cultures. Meanwhile, Powhatan could have exaggerated a few details to make himself more convincing.
