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The Legacy Of John Smith

Decent Essays

When the name John Smith is mentioned, people of all ages are familiar with it and could tell a lot about him. Why is this? How is it that a man who lived over 400 years ago still so popular today, more specifically to our children? The answer to that question is because John Smith can be viewed as one of America’s earliest heroes. His leadership was vital to the survival of the Jamestown colony. Most people are familiar with his famous quote, “he that will not work shall not eat.” He carried all the qualities of an influential leader, and even had a mystical legend with Pocahontas, in which no one truly knows what happened. His leadership characteristics and qualities possessed hard work, grit, and determination. He was an individualist that had an “American” dream. However, during his time, the colonists did not look at it as an “American” dream. Without him and his leadership, America may not be what it is today. In John Smith’s writings in From the General History of Virginia, one can make the interesting observation that Smith constantly refers to himself as “he” instead of “I”. He directly shows the reader his personal sense of pride and self confidence in himself. An example of this from the text would be when he said, “But 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, he let fly his muskets, ran his boat on shore, whereat they all fled into the woods. (61)”

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