Even as a young boy, John Smith's spirit for adventure shone through. He was born in Willoughby, Lincolnshire, England, to George and Alice Smith. John was also baptized there on January 9, 1579. John's father, a tenant farmer, died in 1596, leaving John a modest property. Smith attended grammar school and was then apprenticed to a prominent merchant, Thomas Sendall of Lynn. His apprenticeship lasted a short time, however, because John left soon after he began it to seek adventure elsewhere ("Smith" 1).

As John Smith grew older, his sense of adventure only grew stronger as he traveled throughout Europe engaging in war. John Smith was first beckoned by the Dutch war of independence from Spain, and he later joined British vol

Montgomery, Dennis. "Captain John Smith." Spring 1994: Online. Internet. 29 March

Many unexpected hardships arrived along with the apprehensive colonists as they began the difficult task of surviving in a new environment. The first signs of trouble began immediately after the ships returned to England, leaving the colonists on their own. The harsh winter, lack of fresh water, and the spread of disease all contributed to make life in Jamestown quite difficult. Within the first seven months, almost two-thirds of Jamestown's population died. The bitter cold, which was not common to the colonists, made it hard to plant crops. Disputes in governmental affairs also proved troublesome. Emotions ran high against the local government for numerous reasons ("Smith" 295). The largest problem of all was the native Algonquian Indian attacks. The Indians continually raided the colony and ambushed the colonists in the hope that the colony would be abandoned. This made life almost impossible for the Virginia colonists ("Smith" 2). Despite all of these hardships, !

"John Smith." Dictionary of American Biography. 1935 ed.

unteers in the Netherlands in the late 1590's. Smith then sought adventure in France. Later he boarded a merchant ship bound for the Near East, and ended up in Italy. He then joined the Austrian forces in the "Long War" against the Turks in late 1600 (Barbour 59). Even these numerous and adventure-filled expeditions that Smith took part in could not fulfill Smith's strong desire for constant excitement.

To get away from Jamestown, Smith spent much of the summer exploring the area around the colony. He began by exploring and mapping the Potomac and Rappahannock rivers and Chesapeake Bay. This also gave him an opportunity to search for badly-needed food supplies for the colony ("Smith" 2). When Smith returned to the settlement, he found that forty-five out of ninety-five men had died due to the return of the "sickly season." It was on July 21 that Smith effected the deposition of President Ratcliffe, and leaving Matthew Scrivener in charge, he set out on another exploring trip. Exploration interested Smith much more than administration of Jamestown; Smith had a lust for adventure. In autumn, however, Smith was forced to settle permanently in Jamestown when he was elected president of the colony by the council in September 1608 ("Smith" 295). Smith was then forced to adjust to the mundane life of administration after doing what he loved best, seeking adventure.

As successful as Smith was in leadership, his term came to an abrupt end when

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