Captain John Smith

 

Captain John Smith (1580 - 1631). In 1596 John Smith left his home in England to fight against Spain in support of Dutch independence from the Spanish crown. He became one of the founders of the Jamestown settlement. During the exploring of Chesapeake Bay and the New England coast John Smith led the expeditions. He is also considered to have played an important part in the establishment of the first permanent English settlement in North America.

In 1607 Smith was taken as a prisoner by the Cheif of the Powhatan Indians and was commanded to death. But the daughter of the Indian Cheif, Pocahontas saved his life.

He gave the name New England to that region and encouraged people to move there and said:

"Here every man may be master and owner of his owne labour and land... If he have nothing but his hands he may... by industrie quickly grow rich".

John Smith was not only a solidier and an explorer but he was also an author. He wrote ''The Generall Historie of Virginia, New-England and the Summer Isles. ''The book was published in 1624 and was about his adventures, explorings and experienes.