Reference no: EM13956918

Read these two early seventeenth century accounts related to John Smith.

From The General Historie of Virginia by Capt. John Smith, 1624; The Fourth Booke, in Lyon Gardiner Tyler, ed., Narratives of Early Virginia 1606-1625 (New York, 1907), pp. 326-327.

Captain John Smith and Pocahontas are, of course, part of U.S. history and mythology. The letter excerpted below describes Smith's imprisonment by the Algonquian people; his relationship with Pocahontas and her father, Powhatan; and the role the Native Americans played in helping Smith and his compatriots survive. Historians believe that it is possible that the story Smith relates about being saved from execution by Pocahontas may have been entirely fabricated. Another possibility is that it describes a ritual that involved a sort of mock execution and salvation. Smith wrote many accounts of his exploits in the New World, and his tone throughout seems purposely devised to convince the monarchy to continue to support the Virginia Company.

So it is, That some ten yeeres agoe being in Virginia, and taken prisoner by the power of Powhatan their chiefe King, I received from this great Salvage exceeding great courtesie, especially from his sonne Nantaquaus, the most manliest, comeliest, boldest spirit, I ever saw in a Salvage, and his sister Pocahontas, the Kings most deare and wel-beloved daughter, being but a childe of twelve or thirteene yeeres of age, whose compassionate, pitifull heart, of my desperate estate, gave me much cause to respect her: I being the first Christian this proud King and his grim attendants ever saw: and thus enthralled in their barbarous power, I cannot say I felt the least occasion of want that was in the power of those my mortall foes to prevent, notwithstanding al their threats. After some six weeks fatting amongst those Salvage Courtiers, at the minute of my execution, she hazarded the beating out of her owne braines to save mine; and not onely that, but so prevailed with her father, that I was safely conducted to James towne: where I found about eight and thirtie miserable poore and sicke creatures, to keepe possession of all those large territories of Virginia; such was the weaknesse of this poore Commonwealth, as had the Salvages not fed us, we directly had starved.

And this reliefe, most gracious Queene, was commonly brought us by this Lady Pocahontas. Notwithstanding all these passages, when inconstant Fortune turned our peace to warre, this tender Virgin would still not spare to dare to visit us, and by her our jarres have beene oft appeased, and our wants still supplyed; were it the policie of her father thus to imploy her, or the ordinance of God thus to make her his instrument, or her extraordinarie affection to our Nation, I know not: but of this I am sure; when her father with the utmost of his policie and power. Sought to surprize mee, having but eighteene with mee, the darke night could not affright her from comming through the irksome woods, and with watered eies gave me intelligence, with her best advice to escape his furie; which had he knowne, hee had surely slaine her. James towne with her wild traine she as freely frequented, as her fathers habitation; and during the time of two or three yeeres, she next under God, was still the instrument to preserve this Colonie from death, famine and utter confusion; which if in those times, had once beene dissolved, Virginia might have line as it was at our first arrivall to this day.

Remarks by Chief Powhatan to John Smith (c. 1609)

From Samuel Drake, Biography and History of the Indians of North America, 11th ed. (Boston, 1841), p. 353.

By 1609, relations between the Jamestown settlers and the Algonquian people, led by Chief Powhatan, had deteriorated. Trade continued, but the atmosphere was becoming increasingly hostile. In the excerpt below, Powhatan addresses Captain John Smith, legendary leader of the Jamestown settlement, and explains his concerns for the future of the relationship.

I am now grown old, and must soon die; and the succession must descend, in order, to my brothers, Opitchapan, Opekankanough, and Catataugh, and then to my two sisters, and their two daughters. I wish their experience was equal to mine; and that your love to us might not be less than ours to you. Why should you take by force that from us which you can have by love? Why should you destroy us, who have provided you with food? What can you get by war? We can hide our provisions, and fly into the woods; and then you must consequently famish by wronging your friends. What is the cause of your jealousy? You see us unarmed, and willing to supply your wants, if you will come in a friendly manner, and not with swords and guns, as to invade an enemy. I am not so simple, as not to know it is better to eat good meat, lie well, and sleep quietly with my women and children; to laugh and be merry with the English; and, being their friend, to have copper, hatchets, and whatever else I want, than to fly from all, to lie cold in the woods, feed upon acorns, roots, and such trash, and to be so hunted, that I cannot rest, eat, or sleep. In such circumstances, my men must watch, and if a twig should but break, all would cry out, "Here comes Capt. Smith"; and so, in this miserable manner, to end my miserable life; and, Capt. Smith, this might be soon your fate too, through your rashness and unadvisedness. I, therefore, exhort you to peaceable councils; and, above all, I insist that the guns and swords, the cause of all our jealousy and uneasiness, be removed and sent away.

• How do these accounts demonstrate that there are two sides to every story?

• Describe a situation at work, with family, with friends, or out in public when you have recognized that there is more than one side to a story.