Jamestown's Survival: The Roles of John Smith and John Rolfe

The settlement of Jamestown neared disaster and failure many times. There were people who were determined to strengthen the settlement, each having their own way in doing so. Sometimes it took a bit of encouragement to keep the settlers going, and sometimes it took a person to lead the way for everyone. Even though John Smith and John Rolfe both supplied Jamestown with a miraculous boost of hope, John Smith took leadership and saved the colony immensely to keep it from falling, while John Rolfe made a discovery that aggrandized the colony’s profit.

England’s first attempted settlement was Roanoke of 1587, an unsuccessful colony also known as The Lost Colony. The unfortunate disappearance of the settlement discouraged the country until 1606, nineteen years later, when King James I decided to issue a charter to the Virginia Company of London.

One of the six members of the council decided that he could help Jamestown pace itself accordingly. John Smith, who was born into a family of farmers from Lincolnshire, England, had an impressive amount of experience that helped him gain notoriety in the social rank. When he turned sixteen, he served in England’s military, and later fought in a Christian army against the Turks in Hungary. However, he was not always liked. In 1606 during the voyage to the Americas, John Smith was accused of committing a crime and was almost hung. Reverend Robert Hunt vouched for John, convincing the crew members to allow him to rejoin the council. He rejoined the council, and later became the leader of the Jamestown Colony. John Smith had a unique way to make the colony produce more food and shelter. He established a rule that whoever did not work, did not get to eat. Since there wasn't a colonist that wanted to be deprived of their food, everyone cooperated. The rule made a large impact on the planting of crops and the building of shelter, preluding hope for a successful