Captain John Smith Iames-Towne Analysis
An Ambitious unworthy and vainglorious fellow"
Captain John Smith is memorialized in this 1616 Simon van de Passe engraving.
Captain John Smith is memorialized in this 1616 Simon van de Passe engraving.
In 1609 Captain John Smith dispatched a party of English under Captain Francis West from Jamestown—labeled “Iames-towne” on this map—upriver to the Falls or “The Fales.”
In 1609 Captain John Smith dispatched a party of English under Captain Francis West from Jamestown—labeled “Iames-towne” on this map—upriver to the Falls or “The Fales.”
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This 1616 engraving of Pocahontas by Simon van de Passe was made when she was 21.
This 1616 engraving of Pocahontas by Simon van de Passe was made when she was 21.
An aerial view …show more content…
On his very first call on a tribe for supplies, Smith attacked. He says the Kecoughtans, who lived near modern Hampton, scorned him and derided his offers to barter. So "seeing by trade and courtesy there was nothing to be had, he made bold to try such conclusions as necessity enforced, though contrary to his Commission: Let fly his muskets, ran his boat on shore, whereat they all fled into the woods." The Kecoughtans counterattacked, the English picked off a couple, the Indians sued for peace, and Smith sailed off with a boatload of corn.
Though not all of his trading encounters led to bloodshed, the first one made plain the possibilities of refusing to bargain. Promises of violence were frequent, and though the orders from England were not to annoy the natives, Smith ignored them as he judged circumstances to require.
It was a mission of trading and exploration along the Chickahominy River, just west of Jamestown, that gave rise to the Pocahontas legend. Smith made his way first in a barge and then in a canoe, scattering his company in his wake. Indian women lured two indiscreet soldiers asore from the barge to their deaths in an ambush. Braves killed a third who guarded the canoe. Among the men killed were two called Robinson and
Captain John Smith is memorialized in this 1616 Simon van de Passe engraving.
Captain John Smith is memorialized in this 1616 Simon van de Passe engraving.
In 1609 Captain John Smith dispatched a party of English under Captain Francis West from Jamestown—labeled “Iames-towne” on this map—upriver to the Falls or “The Fales.”
In 1609 Captain John Smith dispatched a party of English under Captain Francis West from Jamestown—labeled “Iames-towne” on this map—upriver to the Falls or “The Fales.”
Click to zoom
This 1616 engraving of Pocahontas by Simon van de Passe was made when she was 21.
This 1616 engraving of Pocahontas by Simon van de Passe was made when she was 21.
An aerial view …show more content…
On his very first call on a tribe for supplies, Smith attacked. He says the Kecoughtans, who lived near modern Hampton, scorned him and derided his offers to barter. So "seeing by trade and courtesy there was nothing to be had, he made bold to try such conclusions as necessity enforced, though contrary to his Commission: Let fly his muskets, ran his boat on shore, whereat they all fled into the woods." The Kecoughtans counterattacked, the English picked off a couple, the Indians sued for peace, and Smith sailed off with a boatload of corn.
Though not all of his trading encounters led to bloodshed, the first one made plain the possibilities of refusing to bargain. Promises of violence were frequent, and though the orders from England were not to annoy the natives, Smith ignored them as he judged circumstances to require.
It was a mission of trading and exploration along the Chickahominy River, just west of Jamestown, that gave rise to the Pocahontas legend. Smith made his way first in a barge and then in a canoe, scattering his company in his wake. Indian women lured two indiscreet soldiers asore from the barge to their deaths in an ambush. Braves killed a third who guarded the canoe. Among the men killed were two called Robinson and