Home > John Smith of Jamestown

Smith was born in Alford, Lincolnshire. He led a long and interesting life, although his boastful nature makes it difficult for historians to separate fact from fiction.

Smith left home at age 16 after his father died, and ran off to sea. He served as a mercenary in the army of King Henry IV of France against the Spaniards and later fought against the Ottoman Empire. Smith was promoted to captain while fighting in Hungary, for the Habsburgs, in the campaign of Mihai Viteazul in 1600- 1601. After the death of Mihai Viteazul, he fought for Radu Serban in Wallachia against Ieremia Movila , but in 1602 he was wounded, captured and sold as a slave. Smith claimed the Turk sent him as a gift to his sweetheart, who fell in love with Smith and inadvertently helped him escape.

Smith then traveled through Europe and Northern Africa, returning to England in 1604. There he became involved with plans to colonize Virginia for profit by the Virginia Company, which had been granted a charter from King James I of England. The expedition set sail in three small ships on December 20, 1606. On May 13, 1607 the settlers landed at JamestownJamestown was a village on an island in the James River in Virginia, about 45 miles southeast of where Richmond, Virginia, is now. Both the river and the 1607 settlement there were named for King James I of England who had recently come to the throne then.

Harsh weather, lack of water and attacks from AlgonquianThe Algonquian languages are a subfamily of Native American languages that includes most of the languages in the Algic language family (others are Wiyot and Yurok of northwestern California). They should be carefully distinguished from Algonquin, which is Indians almost destroyed the colony, and in December 1607Events April 25 Battle of Gibraltar Dutch fleet destroys anchored Spanish fleet April 26 English colonists make landfall at Cape Henry, Virginia, later moving up the James River to found Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in North America., Smith was captured and taken to meet the local chief, PowhatanThe Powhatan (also spelled Powatan and Powhaten were a very powerful tribe of Native Americans, speaking an Algonquian language, who lived in what is now Virginia at the time of the first European-Native encounters. Powhatan was originally the name of the. Although he feared for his life, Smith was eventually made a subordinate chief of the tribe and later attributed this in part to the chief's 11-year-old daughter, Pocahontas.

Later, Smith left Jamestown to explore the Chesapeake BayThe Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Virginia and Maryland. The Chesapeake Bay's watershed covers 64,000 miles² (165,760 km²) in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New region and search for badly needed food. He was eventually elected president of the local council in September 1608Events October 2 Dutch lensmaker Hans Lippershey demonstrates the first telescope in the Dutch parliament July 3 Quebec City founded by Samuel de Champlain. August 24 The first official English representative to India lands at Surat. Swedish troops enter and instituted a policy of discipline, encouraging farming with a famous admonishment: "He who does not work, will not eat." The settlement grew under his leadership, but Smith was injured by a gunpowder burn and had to return to England for treatment in October 1609Events April 4 King of Spain signs an edit of expulsion of all moriscos from Spain April 9 Spain recognizes Dutch independence May 23 Official ratification of the Second Charter of Virginia. July 6 Bohemia is granted freedom of religion. August 25 Galileo, never to return to Virginia.

In 1614Events April 5 In Virginia, Native American Pocahontas marries English colonist John Rolfe. October 11 Adriaen Block and a group of Amsterdam merchants petition the States General for exclusive trading rights in the area he explored and named " New Nether he returned to the New World in a voyage to the Maine and Massachusetts Bay areas, which he named New England. He spent the rest of his life writing books until his death in 1631 at age 51.