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

(Winans). This was accomplished through many actions, his list of necessities, leader attitude, living guidelines, and strategic plans all led the Jamestown colony to become the first, successful, permanent English colony in North America. Without John Smith and his leadership strategies, the colony would not have survived.
Captain John Smith was a momentous figure in providing the foundation for the Jamestown colony through his strict enforcement of rules that colonists would follow. After spending some time in the colony, in late 1607 Captain Smith was captured by Powhatan natives. Their chief, Powhatan, spared Smith's life because he was impressed with his courage. Though only gone for around four weeks, upon John Smith's return, the Jamestown colony had suffered many life losses (Apva.org). Although the colony had conspired against his rule, a new settler ship arrived with Christopher Newport, a previous sailor of the Virginia Company who sailed with Smith on the first voyage to North America, who backed John Smith's side (U-s-history.com). In 1608, he was elected president of the colony. Through enforcing common rules, the death toll dropped under his rule as the colony became more organized that it had been before. An example of his contributions is his Bible-originated quote, “he that will not work shall not eat” (Nps.gov). Following his short rule as president, an unexpected turn rendered Captain John Smith unable to rule the colony further.
Unfortunately, after a gunpowder explosion incident, John smith was injured and had to return to England.

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

endurance.
John Smith, being one of the leaders in the voyage to Jamestown, created a list of “necessaries” in order to join the voyage to Virginia. The list included common goods needed to survive: clothing, food, defensive arms, tools, and cooking utensils (Frederick). Surprisingly enough, he seemed to include every item that was required for living at the time. The list helped provide the colonists with the basics for survival. Although it is unknown whether, or not, the colonists would have succeeded in bringing these essential items on the voyage, Captain Smith's list warranted that the colonists were adequately prepared, proving his worth in the entirety of Jamestown's success. The list was published as part of his larger publication entitled “The Generall Historie.” When he published The Generall Historie in 1624, he had been basically “guiding” the colony further from overseas (Inside.sfuhs.org). Even when he was unable to be at Jamestown anymore, he still has sought to guide it. Such a document of “necessities” does not include bias other than possible personal preferences, however, the document significantly contributes to the United States' history in the fact that Jamestown might not have survived without its inception. The list proves that early life in Virginia was based solely on endurance. There were only items that were constituent to live: food, clothing, tools to build, and other utilities for everyday life. However, while Captain Smith's list is a large part of his importance in early U.S. colonization, there are other reasons for his worth.
John Smith also wrote another document that contributed to the survival of the colonists that was simply titled "Instructions by way of advice, for the intended Voyage to Virginia." In the primary document, Smith writes about how new colonists should live in New England, a term that he gave to the North American region. He goes into great detail about where the newcomers should settle in order to achieve the maximum benefit from the land to prosper. Not only are settlement locations discussed, but native—or "natural" as he describes them—encounters are written about (Smith). With the document, Captain Smith gave the settlers a basic living guide to strengthen their chances of survival. Bias cannot specifically be addressed in this document as with the necessity list upon considering the fact that it is only consisting of guidelines for the immigrants’ new lives; however, John Smith's credibility is questioned in some of his historical accounts.
Historical accuracy of John Smith's publications has been questioned.

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

colony.
Over any other speculation, John Smith clearly contributed to United States history. Whether that contribution is viewed as positive or negative is subjective, but he most certainly made an impact that is undeniable when considering his leadership positions in Jamestown, Virginia. Through writing the list of essential items to bring, having a leadership attitude, and writing guidelines to settling in North America, Captain John Smith ensured the survival of the Jamestown colony for the relatively short time he led it. Even considering bias and how he could exaggerate accounts, he wrote fairly accurately. Without his guidance and strictly deemed authority, the new settlers would never have been able to endure the trials of the demanding environmental surroundings. The Jamestown colony being the first permanent English settlement means that if it failed, European interest in the New World could have lowered. What that means is that it is critical to modern-day history as the beginning of the world the United States knows today, and, in large part, we have Captain John Smith to thank for that.