There is no denying that Captain John Smith led an extraordinary life. From humble beginnings on a farm to life as a soldier and later a founding member of Jamestown’s Virginia Colony, Smith’s existence was rife with adventure and accomplishments. Contemporary accounts, then later histories and media—from novels to Disney movies—told his stories. His interesting activities were further elaborated in his writings and memoirs–-but how much of his recollection is true? What is myth and what is the truth behind the man that was John Smith?
Farmer’s Son to Soldier
Alice Rickard Smith gave birth to her eldest son with husband George on January 9, 1580. Four more sons and a daughter would follow, completing the Smith family that lived in Lincolnshire, England. The oldest Smith son, John, was educated at King Edward VI Grammar School and later became an apprentice to a merchant. He desired to become a sailor, even running away at one point to seek work on a ship. His father contested his plan and returned his son to land. However, when the boy was 16, his father died, and his mother remarried. He decided to terminate his apprenticeship and leave his home country, eager to see the world. John sailed to France to join his countrymen who were serving as soldiers fighting the Spanish. He had no military experience but learned in the field. After two years of service, he returned to England an effective fighting man.
Smith spent some time at home in England, building a crude shelter and living off the land. He spent a lot of time reading and improving his horsemanship. Within two years, he was back on the battlefield. Smith fought on behalf of the Holy Roman Empire, spending time waging war in Slovenia, Romania, and Austria, among other locations. He was promoted to captain and received several awards for bravery.
However, despite Smith’s accomplishments, he wasn’t invincible. In 1602, he was wounded in a battle against the Turks. Subsequently, he was captured and forced into slavery. He was marched 600 miles to Constantinople under his new captors’ direction, then was moved to what is now Russia to serve a new master. After some time in slavery, he eventually killed his holder and escaped. Traveling a great distance, Smith traveled through what is now Russia, Ukraine, Germany, France, Spain, and Morocco to make his way home to England by 1604.
Some historians estimate that his travels covered over 10,000 miles. His exploits impressed important people, and Smith caught the eye of men who were eyeing the New World for permanent settlement. The board of the Virginia Company of London recruited him to join their envoy, set on establishing a colony in Virginia. In December 1606, Smith was among the 104 settlers on three ships bound for the American coast.
Adventures in Jamestown
Smith was 27 when he undertook the dangerous journey to the New World. It proved to be even riskier than he expected, as on the voyage, he was accused of mutinous actions and imprisoned in the ship’s hold. However, tides changed for Smith upon arrival in Virginia. A sealed letter from the Virginia Company was opened upon landing, providing instructions for the implementation of the new colony. In the letter, Smith was one of seven men named to the settlement’s governing council, resulting in his release. There was some disagreement as to whether he should take his seat, but in the end, supporters, including the colony’s minister, helped him secure his place on the council.
The colony continued to have difficulties as it attempted to carve out an existence in the wilds of Virginia. The colonists had arrived in the New World during a period of severe drought, which made establishing crops incredibly difficult. In addition to food shortages, the settlers faced challenges in finding clean drinking water, and suffering from disease. The brackishness of the James River seemed to make the settlers more susceptible to illnesses like typhoid and dysentery. There was an intent to focus on searching for the gold that was rumored to be hiding in the wilds of the area rather than making efforts to help the colony survive.
Bickering was common among the colonists and the members of the governing board. By the end of the first year in Jamestown, only 38 of the over 100 original men remained alive. Adding to their tenuous existence was an up-and-down relationship with Native Americans. Though Smith had organized some trade agreements with the locals, tension still existed as settlers expanded their territory, movements, and use of local resources.
During the winter of 1607, Smith was exploring when he was intercepted by Opechancanough, the chief of the Pamunkey tribe. Opechancanough, who would later prove to be an influential player during King Philip’s War, turned Smith over to Powhatan, the leader of the local Indigenous confederacy. In spending time with Powhatan, Smith observed several traditional ceremonies. He later wrote of meeting Powhatan’s daughter Pocahontas, whom he claimed saved his life after he was sentenced to death. Powhatan eventually released his prisoner, and Smith returned to Jamestown to meet the new colonists who had arrived in January 1608. There were stipulations attached to Smith’s release, including the expectation that a trade relationship with Powhatan was to commence. Jamestown would pay the tribe with firearms and other goods and in return, would be provided with food.
Conflict & Enemies
Smith spent the summer of 1608 mapping the Chesapeake Bay region and searching for gold and the Northwest Passage. While his searches proved fruitless, the journeys did result in detailed maps and written descriptions of the area. When he returned, Smith was named president of Jamestown’s governing council. He recognized the importance of focusing on the immediate survival of the colony rather than searching for riches and instituted a policy of “he that will not work shall not eat.”
While Smith’s strict leadership reduced the colony’s death toll and ushered in an era of improvements, his strongarm rule resulted in a cultivation of a group of enemies. Many of these men were from the gentleman class in England and were not used to laboring alongside those they considered lower class. Smith’s relationship with Powhatan proved useful in providing the colony with food, though the relationship between Jamestown and the Powhatan Confederacy fluctuated.
In 1609, Smith was injured in a gunpowder explosion, a mishap considered by historians to be suspicious. A second assassination attempt not long after also failed as the selected assassin failed to follow through on his assignment. Smith’s injuries as a result of the gunpowder incident resulted in his being forced to give up leadership and return to England.
Memoirs or Tall Tales?
Upon his return to England, Smith refused to give up his life of adventure. He returned to the American coast to map New England and visited Pocahontas, who had married tobacco grower John Rolfe, in England. He spent time writing, releasing The Generall Historie of Virginia and The True Adventures and Observations of Captain John Smith. While Smith’s writings proved popular and have provided details to historians through the ages for their rich descriptions and geographical narratives, parts of them have come into question.
For example, in 1624, Smith wrote the story of his alleged rescue by Pocahontas. However, this was the first time the story was seen in print, despite Smith’s writings about his time with Powhatan published in 1608 and 1612. Pocahontas was only about 11 at the time of Smith’s incarceration, making it unlikely that she was present at legal proceedings or would exert that type of influence over her father. The doubt around this story becomes even more salient when examining Smith’s written work as a whole: he described being saved from execution by beautiful women in various locations around the globe at least five times in his writings.
Still, archaeology in Jamestown and other historical references have confirmed many of the details that Smith wrote about in his books, including descriptions of Native settlements, geographical details, and accounts of certain discoveries. So, why did Smith appear to lie about some of his adventures? Some historians argue that he was like many other European explorers of his era, set on promoting himself and his legacy by exaggerating his adventures. It can never be said for certain how accurate Smith’s retellings are as a whole, though definite truths and definite falsehoods can both be defined.
A Disputed Legacy
A hero to some, and a scoundrel to others, John Smith leaves a conflicting legacy to the history of America and the world. While his exploits have amazed the public through centuries, it is believed that many err on the side of fiction, a man perhaps trying to add to his own legend as a hero of exploration. Efforts to examine history from different perspectives, including that of America’s Indigenous peoples, lend further challenges to celebrating Smith’s legacy. At the same time, Smith left impeccable details that have contributed to a better understanding of early colonial life in America. John Smith is an excellent reminder of the challenges of deciphering and understanding history centuries after the fact.
