"From 'The Complete Works of Captain John Smith'"

This blog is comprised of my notes on and reactions to The Complete Works of Captain John Smith as presented in the seventh edition of The Norton Anthology of American Literature Volume A.  The text used in the anthology is the version edited by Philip L. Barbour (1986). 

Text Notes:

• "From 'The General History of Virginia, New England, and the Summer Isles'"
• Opens with starvation in Virginia; Though the small folk are without food or alcohol, the President has diverted supplies for himself and thus continues to eat well.
• The lack of food, manner of living, and the hard work of building the palisade in the heat has weakened the settlers.
• May-September: Fifty people die and there is a political shift; President Wingfield is ousted and Radcliffe is made president instead.  After this shift, the surgeon general, Master Thomas Wotten is praised for saving those who are ill.
• During this period, the people ate and lived off of sturgeon and sea crabs.
• When no provisions, sturgeon, or sea crabs remain to the settlers, the natives are moved to bring "plenty of their fruits and provisions" so that there is no further wanting (58).
• The blame for this period of want is put on those who sailed the settlers to Virginia because they were ignorant of their endeavor and took five months - significantly longer than it should have take - and thus robbed the settlers of provisions once they got there while also causing them to miss the planting season.
• President Radcliffe and Captain Martin are not good about foreseeing the dangers present to the colony, so they assign the management of all outside the palisade to John Smith.
• Smith is praised as working hard to ensure that the settlers have lodgings, though neglecting any for himself. He is further exalted for heading out to find trade despite lacking language skill and skill with boats (as opposed to ships).
• The first trade is marked as being "contrary to his commission" because he puts courtesy by the wayside and fires at the Kecoughton Indians (59).  He then waits for the native warriors to arrive at which point he opens fire again to ultimately receive a peace treaty for food and other provisions in exchange for some weapons and the shot idol of the native gods.
• The provisions thus provided by John Smith along with others gathered from the towns of Warraskoyah and Chickahominy are carelessly consumed rather than saved for the inevitable future hardships.  
• Upon returning from one of his trips, John Smith learns of a plot made between Wingfield and Kendall to abandon the colony; he stops this plot from coming to fruition, and ultimately Kendall is killed.
• Smith stops a similar plot between President Radcliffe and Captain Anchor.
• As winter approaches, the natives give the settlers corn and the settlers hunt birds, fish, and fruit to eat well.
• Finally, Smith takes a group up the Chickahominy River to discover its source.  During this endeavor, he is put under siege by two-hundred 'savages' and taken prisoner for six or seven weeks during which time he almost becomes one of them, ensuring that they do not put the settlement under siege and eventually is set free.
•  Smith's experience in captivity is as follows:
• After being wounded by archers, Smith makes it to his canoe to discover his two comrades are dead; he is then seized and warmed up by his captors. 
• Smith is introduced to Opechancanough (Powhatan's younger half-brother) (King of Pamunkey), who is to be his captor.
• Natives are fascinated by Smith's compass and the way it moves.
• Just as he is to be executed, Opechancanough raises Smith's compass in the air, so Smith is untied from the tree he is bound to and taken to the village, Orapaks.
• In the village, Smith is guarded through three dances, then fed repeatedly with bread and venison so that he thinks the natives "would fat him to eat him" (62).
• Guards protect Smith from being killed by one wishing to avenge a dying son, but Smith assures his captors that he has 'water' that could save the dying man if he could return to Jamestown for it.  His release is denied, but they carry a letter to Jamestown for him and return with the medicine and an answer for Smith.
• The Native Americans do not understand the concept of writing, so they do not realize that Smith has warned Jamestown of the native plot to attack, nor do they realize how the medicine and supplies are 'magically' presented to them.
• Smith is moved from Orapaks to the Youghtanunds to the Mattapients to the Pianatanks to the Nantaughtacunds to the Onawmanients and finally to the king's village, Pamunkey.
• At Pamunkey, Smith is made part of a ceremony intended to discern whether he means the natives harm or not.
• Afterwards, Smith is fed and moved once again to Werowocomaco, where Powhatan is located.  Here, he is once again feasted and seemingly condemned to death.  Two stones are brought out and Smith expresses that he believes his head to be smashed by clubs; however, Pocahontas rescues him by placing herself between him and any who would do him harm.
• Pocahontas is cast as the heroine for the first time in this version of the story.  In previous versions, she has been a person mentioned but not given a figuring role.
• Finally, Powhatan tells Smith that he will hither forth be as a son and will be returned to Jamestown and given the land in exchange for two 'great guns' and a grindstone.
• Upon his return to Jamestown, Smith gives two cannons and a millstone to be returned to Powhatan and other gifts intended to please the women and children.
• Once he is back in Jamestown, Smith foils yet another attempt by leaders to flee the colony.  He is threatened with death for the deaths of his two companions who were killed when he was captured; however, he escapes that fate.
• Pocahontas and her attendants provide food once or twice a week to prevent the settlers from starving and creates higher spirits in the settlers by doing so.
• 'From "The Fourth Book'"
•  This section is merely a brief acknowledgement by Smith that his time in Virginia is at an end and that he's a little bitter about it: "it may be that they would judge me more charitably of my imperfections" (66).
• "From 'A Description of New England'"
• Smith opens this section by posing many questions about the virtue, honor, and praise that may come from colonizing a new land and toiling in order to succeed.
• He next questions why people would live their lives in any baser way than the one originally described as praiseworthy (i.e. that of a settler).
• Smith goes on to rally those who wish to expand their fortunes and live productive lies to explore the new lands rather than feigning ignorance to the possible greatness they could attain.
• He also expresses his own interest in rekindling his own involvement in such affairs.
• Smith tempers his praise with the warning that success is not guaranteed, particularly if bad leadership comes into play
• labor and diligence vs. vain pleasure
• gives an example of fishing to illustrate how one might provide for one's self as well as earning money/making profit
• change fouling and fishing in place of hawking and hunting
• none should grow poor in New England, Smith suggests
• "From 'New England's Trials'"
•  This selection opens with an explanation of why the massacre of settlers in March 1622 occurred.
• It was for weapons and novelty items/commodities, but Smith does not believe this should act as a deterrence for future settlers.
• Smith furthers his argument by giving examples of his own power over the Native Americans - both the laypeople and their chiefs.  Furthermore, he asserts he never suffered great hurt at the hands of the natives.
• The reiteration about the freshness of the air and the plenty of food as a reason to colonize.
• Smith asserts that he would do all that he did over again if he is given the chance.  
•  The selection ends Smith's argument by asserting the truth of what he has stated and firmly maintains his stance that many should desire to go to the colonies and "freely...adventure" with him (72).

My Thoughts:

I don't think much about the first section taken from"The General History..."  I think that in general it serves to paint Smith in a nice light and present intrigue so that people will want to read his book.  The final two sections (from the "Description of New England" and "New England's Trials") get much more at the heart of what John Smith was aiming to do with his book.  As for the third section (from "The Fourth Book"), I think that it indicates very strongly Smith's love for the New World and asserts a level of authority and veracity about his later statements about wanting to go back and being willing to do it all over again.

The final two selections of the Smith readings virtually sell the American dream (long before the American dream really existed as we know it today).   I find this particularly arguable because Smith essentially equates hard work with gain in Virginia and New England.  He presents scenarios in which people can toil, hunt, fish, and work in order to profit and elevate their situation from anything they could hope for in England.

It seems to me that Smith is merely making a sale's pitch.  His writing is overtly persuasive in the final two sections.