Important facts about John Smith:
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John Smith lived about 100 years after Christopher Columbus.
Even though people knew Columbus had not found a way to the Indies, they thought he New World must be
near the Indies. Therefore, it must be full of riches as well.
Spain and France had already begun colonies in the new World. King James I of England wanted to start new
colonies as well. He thought he would become even richer if he had colonies in the New World.
King James I sent three ships to the New world. The ships had about 105 people on them. All of them were
men.
About 50 of those men were called “gentlemen.” A gentleman was a wealthy man who did not have to work.
Servants did their work for them.
The gentlemen thought that they would become richer by traveling to the New world, and they did not expect
how much work they would have to do there.
While traveling to the New World, there was an argument on board one of the ships. Some of the men accused
John Smith of being a troublemaker, so the captain locked him up below deck.
When they reached Virginia, the captain read the king’s orders. They named who would lead the colony. John
Smith was one of them, but the captain disobeyed orders and left him locked up on the ship.
The remaining leaders did not do a very good job. They chose a place to start their colony and named it
Jamestown. Jamestown was built on marshlands that were full of mosquitoes, and there was no fresh drinking
water nearby.
A month after they landed at Jamestown, the captain set John Smith free.
They built a fort in the shape of a triangle. It was built of pointed logs, and houses were built inside the fort.
John Smith wanted to plant gardens, but the other men did not want to- they wanted to explore for riches.
In the summer, mosquitoes carrying malaria got some of the men sick. By the time winter came, Jamestown
was almost out of food. The men were not very good at hunting and fishing.
John Smith left in a boat to trade with the Indians. They traded food for beads and knives.
One time John Smith became surrounded by angry Indians. John Smith showed his compass to the chief, who
accepted his gift. This saved John Smith’s life for the time. The chief wanted to show off his prisoner to other
tribes.
Eventually, John Smith was taken to Powhatan. Powhatan was a very powerful chief. He ruled over many tribes
and he would decide if John Smith got to live or die. Powhatan decided that John Smith would die.
Just as John Smith was about to be killed, Powhatan’s daughter, Pocahontas, screamed and asked her father to
let him live. Women in the tribe were allowed to ask to have a prisoner’s life saved, and she wanted John Smith
to be saved.
Powhatan set John Smith free and he returned to Jamestown.
Finally the colonists realized how important John Smith was. He kept them alive by trading with the Indians, and
also by keeping peace with the Indians.
John Smith became president of Jamestown.
Some of the men still did not want to work, so John Smith made a new rule: He who will not work shall not eat!
(This comes from 2 Thessalonians 3:10.)
Later 200 more colonists arrived, including women and children.
John Smith became very sick, and he returned to England to get better.
While he was gone, Jamestown went through another winter without food. Powhatan ordered his tribes not to
trade with white men since John Smith was gone.
John Smith got better, but he did not return to Jamestown. He explored new England and made a map that the
Pilgrims would later use.
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Jamestown is important because it was the first permanent English settlement in the New World. John Smith is
important because Jamestown may not have survived without him.