John Smith: Leading The First New English Colony

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John Smith overcame being a prisoner of war and slave to leading the first permanent English colony in America. John Smith was born in 1580 in Lincolnshire, England and he went to grammar school when he was a child making him well educated. When his father died Smith ran away to join the English army. After helping England fight the Spaniards in France and the Netherlands, “Smith fought against the Turks in battles waged in Slovenia, Hungary and Transylvania [Romania] earning several awards for his bravery in battle. One award was his promotion to captain, a title Smith remained proud of the rest of his life.”(Warder). When Smith was promoted to captain he was also given the title of “English gentlemen”. In 1600 Smith’s luck ran out when …show more content…
John Smith’s military experiences impressed powerful men in England such as Captain Bartholomew Gosnold who wanted to make a English colony in the Chesapeake region of Virginia. Along with other important men Gosnold created the Virginia Company of London and got permission from King James to go establish a colony on April 10, 1606. In December 1606, the Virginia Company sent three ships carrying 104 settler which included John Smith to start a colony in Virginia (Warder). In the beginning Jamestown was looking like it was going to turn out like the Roanoke colony and fail. Colonists came to Jamestown they were searching for things to get them rich such as gold. But since most of the colonists were wasting time looking for gold no one was taking the time to farm or do the necessities so when winter came around most of them died. Also the leaders of Jamestown at the time did not expect the wealthy and the aristocrats to work but they still got a share of the food. This way of life in Jamestown continued for a while until rose up as leader of Jamestown. “Smith assumed control of the settlement, and is widely credited with saving …show more content…
Smith did not like the leader of the current president so he said, “The president's overweening jealousy would admit no exercise at arms, or fortification but the boughs of trees cast together in the form of a half moon by the extraordinary pains and diligence of Captain Kendall.” (Smith). John Smith believed that the leader of Jamestown at the time was not doing the things required for the survival of Jamestown and that if Jamestown stayed on the same path. So when John Smith became leader he made sure he would do “Now falls every man to work, the council contrive the fort, the rest cut down trees to make place to pitch their tents; some provide clapboard to relade the ships, some make gardens, some nets, etc. The savages often visited us kindly” (Smith). Once John Smith became leader he made sure that all the necessities for the survival of Jamestown were taken care of such as fort defenses and homes. With Captain John Smith as leader discipline was enforced which allowed for food to ge grown and for the defenses to be built to secure the settlement. Due to this people who survived the winter owed their lives to John Smith and the Native Americans Smith traded with (“To Captain John
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