John Smith
(1580–1631)

John Smith was a leader in the settlement of Jamestown, Virginia, the first successful English colony in America. He was also one of England's most famous New World explorers. The stories of his adventures, often embellished by his own pen, fascinated European readers of his day and continue to provide a wealth of details about the early exploration and colonization of America.

The son of a farmer, Smith was born in Lincolnshire, England. He left home at the age of 16 to become a soldier. During the next ten years, Smith traveled throughout Europe and the Near East, fought in numerous battles, and was promoted to captain. Then, in 1606, a year after his return to England, Smith led a group of colonists across the Atlantic to establish a settlement in the New World. The group landed in Virginia in 1607 and founded Jamestown.

As president of the colony from 1608 to 1609, Smith helped assure the colony's success, obtaining food, enforcing discipline, and dealing with the native tribes who inhabited the region. In 1608, Smith published A True Relation of Virginia, the first English book describing life in America. After being burned in a gunpowder accident and involved in disputes with other colonists in 1609, Smith traveled back to England.

Smith made two more voyages to America in 1614 and 1615, exploring and mapping the coast of the region he named New England. Then Smith returned to England, settling in London, where he lived for the remainder of his life. During his later years, he published his two most famous works, A Description of New England (1616) and The General History of Virginia, New England, and the Summer Isles (1624).

In The General History of Virginia, which describes the founding of Jamestown, Smith attempts to dispel English misconceptions about America and encourages others to settle in the New World. The book also includes an account of what has become Smith's most famous adventure. According to his story, Smith was captured by the Native Americans and faced execution until the chief's daughter Pocahontas saved him from death. This episode, along with the other experiences Smith describes, provides an understanding and appreciation of what the early colonists' lives were like.

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