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In this episode, Will tells the tale of the life of John Smith, the mercenary-turned-explorer who was the first great Virginia hero. This is the tale of how Smith won his knighthood by defeating three Ottoman Turks in single combat, how he ended up as a leader in the original settlement of Virginia, and how his lasting legacy was the map he made out of his own explorations. Will also discusses why Pocahontas saved John Smith, how Smith saved Jamestown, and his legacy in mapping New England, along with why he died in relative obscurity.
Sources Referenced in this Episode:
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Smith, Captain John: The Generall Historie of Virginia, New-England, and the Summer Isles., https://amzn.to/49H3hxR
Willison, George F.: Behold Virginia: The Fifth Crown, https://amzn.to/4do9YG4
Dabney, Virginius: Virginia: The New Dominion, https://amzn.to/4dtAE8l
Andrews, Matthew Page: Virginia: The Old Dominion, Vol. I, https://amzn.to/4uZBW2h
Bruce, Philip Alexander: The Virginia Plutarch, Vol I, https://amzn.to/437cAU0
Morton, Richard L.: Colonial Virginia, https://amzn.to/4ua3bqY
Andrews, Matthew Page: The Soul of a Nation: The Founding Of Virginia and the Projection of New England, https://amzn.to/4d9Ut60
Timestamps
0:00 John Smith Saves Virginia: He Who Does Not Work, Neither Shall He Eat at Jamestown
4:36 The Humble Origins of John Smith
5:55 John Smith Becomes a European Mercenary
7:33 How John Smith Became a Legend
10:02 John Smith Becomes a Slave of the Ottoman Turks
14:04 How John Smith Joined the Virginia Company, and the Virginia Expedition
15:40 Smith and Bartholomew Gosnold
18:05 John Smith Feuds With Everyone
20:09 Smith Is Saved
21:33 Jamestown Is Founded, and Disaster Begins
22:40 Smith is Saved by Pocahontas
25:29 John Smith Maps Virginia
29:41 John Smith and Indian Diplomacy
34:07 John Smith Saves Jamestown
36:11 Smith’s Style of Negotiating with the Indians
38:11 Smith’s Enemies Return, and He Must Leave
43:40 Smith Maps New England
45:11 The Pilgrims Don’t Like John Smith
46:14 The End of John Smith’s Life
Image credit: Public Domain unless otherwise stated
John Smith Coat of Arms: Glasshouse using elements by Heralder, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Richard Croft / St.Helena’s church
Transcript
