Captain John Smith : Jamestown and the Birth of the American Dream

by Hoobler, Thomas; Hoobler, Dorothy

• ISBN13: 9780471485841
• ISBN10: 0471485845
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2005-11-04
• Publisher: Wiley

Summary

"America was the place Smith had dreamed of his whole life.There, his character, determination, and ambition had propelled him to the top of society. He spent the rest of his life trying to return. Though he failed, he pointed the way for others, who were drawn by the dream that opportunity was here for anyone who dared seize it . . . Smith founded more than a colony. He gave birth to the American dream." --from Captain John Smith Captain John Smith tells the real story behind the swashbuckling character who founded the Jamestown colony, wrote the first book in English in America, and cheated death many times by a mere hairbreadth. Based on rich primary sources, including Smith's own writings and newly discovered material, this enlightening book explores Smith's early days, his forceful leadership at Jamestown that was so critical to its survival, and his efforts upon his return to England to continue settlements in America. This unique volume also reveals the truth behind Smith's relationship with Pocahontas, a tale that history has greatly distorted. Bringing to life heroic deeds and dramatic escapes as well as moments of great suffering and hardship, Captain John Smith serves as a great testament to this important historical figure.

Author Biography

DOROTHY and THOMAS HOOBLER are well experienced at writing on historical topics. Their ten-volume series for Oxford Uni-versity Press, The American Family Albums, was acclaimed in the New York Times and Newsday and has received awards from educational and literary groups. Their novel, In Darkness, Death, won a 2005 Edgar Award for young adult fiction.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	xi
Prologue	1	(6)
Dreams of Glory	7	(16)
``To Conquer Is to Live''	23	(22)
Voyagers West	45	(22)
The ``First Mover'' of Jamestown	67	(16)
A Charge of Mutiny	83	(10)
Disease, Dissension, and Death	93	(24)
The Great American Myth	117	(20)
Conflicting Agendas	137	(16)
Seeking the Future	153	(16)
Smith vs. Newport	169	(14)
Smith vs. Powhatan	183	(14)
Smith Takes Charge	197	(16)
``My Hands Have Been My Lands''	213	(16)
The Dream Survives the Man	229	(22)
Notes	251	(8)
For Further Reading	259	(2)
Index	261