Research Paper On Captain John Smith

Captain John Smith, born in 1580, was an English explorer noted primarily in the first permanent English settlement in North America through the colony of Jamestown, Virginia (Nps.gov). Although most notoriously known for his contributions to the Jamestown colony in Virginia, he fought in the Dutch independence war against Spain in addition to fighting with Austrians against Turks prior to his involvement with Jamestown. He was captured and enslaved by Turks, but then overpowered his master and escaped back to England in 1604, when he began his quest for investment in the New World (U-s-history.com). Beginning the voyage to North America in 1606, John Smith is considered to be one of the foundations for the survival of the Jamestown colony

Following his departure, the colony suffered drastic losses. In an interview with historian David Silverman of George Washington University, Silverman states, “[the colonists] turn inward, almost collapsing upon themselves, and they refuse to do the basic functions that people need to perform in order to survive” (Silverton). Clearly, without Captain Smith's rule the colonists were unable to govern themselves. He contributed to the development and success of the colony and without his involvement, it would not have survived. Even though many colonists despised his rule, his strict guidelines were essential. As demonstrated by his absence and future events, the European incomers in Jamestown were indolent and only were working once Captain Smith returned later on in 1608. It is attributed to his perseverance and command that settlers were made to work and live off of the harsh land. While, undeniably, the list was vital in preparing people arriving in Virginia, a document written by him details more on the time in Virginia and guidelines for

An event occurred while he was in Jamestown and captured by the Powhatan Indians that raises questions of his credibility. For the first time, Captain Smith published an account about how Pocahontas, the daughter of Powhatan, saved him from being executed by the Powhatan native tribe. It was first published in 1624 when it was said to have happened many years prior (Inside.sfuhs.org). In addition to that, some of his writings have had variations differing on different times it was told (Smithtrail.net). However, historians agree that his writings are mostly accurate, despite the fact that he was writing partially biased to promote colonization, as his desire was to explore the New World (Winans. Irrespective to any belief regarding his authenticity on historical records, the two primary documents, the list of necessities and settlement guide, are factual even if bias could exist within them, and they both contribute to history in important ways by helping establish Jamestown, Virginia, as a permanent English