In From The General History of Virginia, New England, and the Summer Isles, in the third book from chapter 2: What Happened Till the First Supply, John Smith was tested as a leader. My question is, was he a good leader? Like many other girls of my generation, the first time I had ever heard of John Smith was as Pocahontas’s friend or boyfriend, for the sake of interest in a younger audience Disney added to the story. If you can make it past the old English, there’s a more historic and bigger story that is to be had in the actual readings.
Back to my question, was John Smith a good leader? My reasons believing this supported by a few reasons. “...to Captain Smith, who, by his own example, good words, and fair promises, set some to mow, others to thatch, some to build houses, other to thatch him, himself always bearing the greatest task for his own share, so that in short time he provided most of the lodging, neglecting any for himself.” (p. 58 - 59) What I got for that was that he gave everyone jobs and saved the hardest for himself, which happened to be building houses for almost everyone and not taking one for himself.He also set out to trade with the surrounding Indians for food for the Jamestown settlers. On one trip, he and a group went were sent guides and he was told to bring only two men, and told the rest of the men on his ship to stay on-board and not go down the river. The men on the ship didn’t listen, went down the river and were slain. Smith killed his guides in retaliation, the two men left with Smith were killed. Smith befriended the Indians but always feared for death. (p. 65) Even after he was saved by Pocahontas, who happened to be the daughter to the king, Powhatan.
He stopped the other Jamestown leaders from leaving several times. The first of these times the escapers where led by Wingfield and Kendall, during the fight to make them stay, Kendall was killed. “The brawls are so disgustful, as some will say they were better forgotten, yet all mean of good judgement will conclude it were better their business should be manifest to the world, than the business bear the scorn and shame of excused disorders.” (p 60) The second was shortly after the first, by the President and Captain Archer, Smith stopped and suppressed them also.
In the end, I’d say that John Smith was a great leader. “Smith was a soldier of fortune who had fought in many wars in Europe prior to coming to Virginia. He was not born of the gentry and was not considered a "gentleman" as the other leaders of the Council had been. Because he had been to many different places and was an adventurer of the first order, he had a great deal of confidence and a "no-nonsense" attitude about him.” As stated on historyisfun.org/
Smith, John. From The General History of Virginia, New England, and the Summer Isles. Nina Baym, ed. The Norton Anthology of American Literature: Seventh Edition: Volume A. New York: Norton, 2007. 55-72.
