John Smith Thesis

When discussing the notable leader of the Jamestown Colony, otherwise known as John Smith, a rather interesting has arisen regarding his genuine experience with the daughter of Powhatan, the Native American Chief. The girl, widely known as Pocahontas, is known for her inextricable link to Captain John Smith, Smith who had a suspiciously idyllic story to share. According to the National Park Service Website on Historical Jamestown, Smith’s tale involved being brought before Chief Powhatan and preparing to have his own brain smashed to smithereens, all before Pocahontas miraculously decided to save him from execution. Contrary to Smith’s picturesque recapitulation of the event, there are numerous reasons in place as to why Smith did not have
In 1608, John Smith published “A True Relation,” a book in which he described the many occurrences that had happened while in Virginia. When discussing his arrival in Weowocomoco, the text states, “the emperor welcomed me with good words and great platters of food. He promised me his friendship and my freedom within four days. . . .He asked me why we came and why went further with our boat. . . . He promised to give me what I wanted and to feed us if we made him hatchets and copper. I promised to do this. And so, with all this kindness, he sent me home.” However, when 1617 came, Historian Paul Lewis explains in an excerpt from “The Great Rogue: A Biography of Captain John Smith” that “Pocahontas became a big media event in London. She was a “princess” (daughter of “king” Powhatan), and the first Indian woman to visit England.” In summation, Pocahontas was one of the people to be associated with, and that’s exactly what John Smith sought out to do. 16 years after Smith’s initial publication of “A True Relation,” or in 1624, Smith
Curiously, the Miranda-Ferdinand episode from Shakespeare’s The Tempest is also seen by some historians as being akin in nature, Montgomery adds in his article. John Smith may have made use of that as well. Due to these allegations, some 19th century-American scholars were quick to add in their own input, such as Albert Bushnell Hart and essayist Henry Adams, who doubted and/or completely denied the legitimacy of Smith’s story. These stories in conjunction with Captain John Smith’s probable desire to want to gain fame and appraise, especially as the leader of the Jamestown Colony, definitely help in confirming that Smith’s experience was not what he made it out to be. Accordingly, Smith’s encounter with Pocahontas, if he had one, may have been one that he didn’t completely understand; instead of saving Smith from execution, Pocahontas may have merely symbolically saved him as part of “an Indian naturalization or adoption rite,” Philip L. Barbour adds. Regardless, it’s safe to say