John Smith baptized 6 January β 21 June was an English soldier, explorer, colonial governor, admiral of New England , and author. Following his return to England from a life as a soldier of fortune and as a slave, [ 1 ] he played an important role in the establishment of the colony at Jamestown, Virginia , the first permanent English settlement in North America, in the early 17th century. He was a leader of the Virginia Colony between September and August , and he led an exploration along the rivers of Virginia and the Chesapeake Bay , during which he became the first English explorer to map the Chesapeake Bay area.
Later, he explored and mapped the coast of New England. Jamestown was established on May 14, He publicly stated, " He that will not work, shall not eat ", alluding to 2 Thessalonians With Smith's leadership, however, Jamestown survived and eventually flourished. Smith was forced to return to England after being injured by an accidental explosion of gunpowder in a canoe.
Smith's books and maps were important in encouraging and supporting English colonization of the New World. Having named the region of New England, he stated: "Here every man may be master and owner of his owne labour and land. If he have nothing but his hands, he may Smith's exact birth date is unclear. He was baptized on 6 January at Willoughby , [ 5 ] near Alford, Lincolnshire , where his parents rented a farm from Lord Willoughby.
Smith set off to sea at age 16 after his father died. He then went to the Mediterranean where he engaged in trade and piracy, and later fought against the Ottoman Turks in the Long Turkish War.
He was promoted to cavalry captain while fighting for the Austrian Habsburgs in Hungary in the campaign of Michael the Brave in and In he was wounded in a skirmish with the Crimean Tatars , captured, and, taken to a slave market, and then sold.
