John Smith

Explorer and the most interesting man in the world. “ I don’t always explore, but when I do I prefer exploring America.

Who: Background Info

• Born in 1580 in Willoughby, England• In 1600 he joined Austrian forces to fight the

Turks in the "Long War." • Captured after being injured and sold as a

slave.

Who: Information

• He was saved from death by Pocahontas• He established trading agreements with native

tribes• Smith killed his master that caught him and

enslaved him, then returned to England in the early 1600s

Why he explored

• John Smith went on his expeditions because he hoped to make a quick profit from the Virginia Company.

• John Smith wanted to get away from the continuous perils that he had experienced in the past decade; so he decided that this would be a safe endeavor.

Route

• John Smith technically did not choose the route he was assigned the Virginia Company decided the route.

• This route was chosen because it was the route that went from Britain to America in the shortest amount of time

• He founded the first American community in Jamestown. He also founded the Chesapeake Bay colonies.

Financing

• The Virginia Company, who was granted a charter by King James, financed the trip of John Smith.

• Smith along with Captain Christopher Newport brought all of the bare essential supplies to build a new colony. This affected his trip by prolonged their expedition by two months.

Why it was important

• This exploration was important because it was the first substantial English colony in the New World. His exploration also founded the Chesapeake Bay colonies, which led to the expansion of British colonies in America. Therefore John Smith pretty much founded America.

Sources

• http://apva.org/rediscovery/page.php?page_id=25

• http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h713.html• http://

www.virginiaplaces.org/settleland/johnsmith.html

• http://apva.org/rediscovery/page.php?page_id=25