John Smith Journal PDF

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Journal summary of what was read over a piece about John Smith...

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John Smith Journal John Smith. We often think of the colonists as being equally enthusiastic about this new venture, with everyone working for the common good. That is clearly not the case, according to Smith. Address the following questions in your journal:  What problems does Smith have with the other English colonists in the Virginia Company?  How does he represent his own leadership abilities?  How does he come across in his writing? Remember that you must include quotes from the primary source in your entry. Also, you are to READ the biographical information on Smith, but you are to WRITE about the primary source.

What problems does Smith have with the other English colonists in the Virginia Company? How does he represent his own leadership abilities? How does he come across in his writing? The problems that Smith seems to be having in concordance with the English colonists in the Virginia Company, that would have to do with his stubbornness and willpower to strive towards what he wanted to do: “the

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fiery sixteen-year-old managed to have his indenture to the shopkeeper canceled and went to the Netherlands as a soldier to fight for the Dutch in their long war of independence from Philip II” (Smith 81). That just wasn’t the beginning of that; everything for Smith just started going downhill from there. In the early 1600s, Smith was having a hard time with obtaining food from the higher ups, and it wasn’t just him having a hard time with getting food, it was quite a few people waiting for food, as well: “those that escaped, lived upon sturgeon, and sea crabs. Fifty in this time we buried” (Smith 84). Despite having to deal with certain hardships with essentially butting heads with the English colonists, Smith was also able to assert his leadership abilities to show how the current lifestyle of many of the colonists could be changed and head towards the better. All it would take would depend on the matter of time: “here by their labor may live exceedingly well: provided always that first there be a sufficient power to command them, … these may learn their trades themselves, to do the like; to a general and an incredible benefit, for king, and country, master, and servant” (Smith 96). With a strong belief, after reading this excerpt of Smith’s work, it would be easy to say, that after all of his hardships and turmoil that he had encountered, that he knows what he is doing, and his confidence doesn’t seem to waver in his writing. Anyone who writes out

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their story, or shares their story, if they believe it to be true, then there will be no wavering in their voice; they know it to be true: “Thus you may see plainly the yearly success from New England (by Virginia) which has been so costly to this kingdom and so dear to me, which either to see perish or but bleed, pardon me though it passionate me beyond the bounds of modesty” (Smith 98). Word Count: 371...