John Smith: A Truthful Source on Early Colonial America?

The most important question when regarding the settling of Jamestown and its early years is whether Captain John Smith, world renowned hero of the Jamestown colony, is in fact a liar, as most of what we know about him comes from his own works of novelistic intent about his experiences in the new world. We can analyze other first-hand records and other historical writings and weigh these accounts against Smith’s writings to decide if his are in fact accurate.
In his own writings, John Smith, described his early adventures, which took place in Europe before his journey to the new world, in a very dramatic fashion. In these writings, Smith wrote that he joined the Austrian forces in fighting the Turks, which were seen as a threat to all Europe at this time. While there, he claimed to have accomplished heroic deeds including defeating three Turks in combat for which he received the title of Captain (Fishwick Para 3). He also described other adventures including finding a friend in a Turkish noble, living as a hermit studying Machiavelli, traveling from one port to another in Europe, and numerous other engagements with villains in sword fights or not. One of which took place near an ‘old ruined tower’ (White 490).
In the new world, Smith all but described himself as the savior of the Jamestown colony. While there, he claimed that he secured food from the Powhatan Indians and took command of the colony to save it (Fishwick Para 4). Of course, Smith’s most renowned adventure in Jamestown was his rescue by the Indian princess Pocahontas, which may itself be a misinterpretation of culture by Smith or may have never even occurred A boston historian named Charles Deane researched into this matter and concluded, “...that Smith was a notoriou...

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...t be read in such a light and contrast to other sources on early colonial history.

Works Cited

Cooper, Catherine W. "The Legacies Of Captain John Smith." American Geographical Society's Focus On Geography 50.1 (2007): 30-36. Academic Search Elite. Web. 13 Mar. 2014.
Fishwick, Marshall. “Was John Smith A Liar?” American Heritage. American Heritage, n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2014.
Lehman, Forrest K. "Settled Place, Contested Past: Reconciling George Percy's "A Trewe Relacyon" With John Smith's "Generall Historie.." Early American Literature 42.2 (2007): 235. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 13 Mar. 2014.
Smith, John. “John Smith's Description of the Powhatans, 1612.” Historical Scene Investigation. Historical Scene Investigation, n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2014.
White, Ed. "Captaine Smith, Colonial Novelist." American Literature 75.3 (2003): 487. Academic Search Elite. Web. 13 Mar. 2014.