The Jamestown Colony

The Jamestown Colony was a success, however, who was responsible for this success? John Rolfe, a tobacco farmer who boosted the economy of Jamestown by bringing a new cash crop, and John Smith, a military man whose leadership allowed the colony to become a competitive force in the New World. Jamestown was beset by many obstacles in its youth; From attacks by militant Indians, to poor sanitation practices, as well as a lack of experience living in a ‘farm for sustenance’ lifestyle. Jamestown had struggles in its beginning, but as time progressed two leaders: John Smith and John Rolfe stood at the forefront of influence in the Jamestown colony.
The Jamestown colony faced many hardships, which without solid leadership, would have caused an eventual …show more content…
The main point is that while both men helped the accomplishment of the first permanent colony in the New World, one of the two leaders stands out more than the other in terms of aiding the colony’s growth into a successful country. John Smith made strides in creating a grand colony as well as boost the settlement’s work ethic, fend off the occasional militant Native American attack, and most importantly, create a kind, yet just relationship with the surrounding Indian settlements. Smith also helped by learning the Native American’s customs and replicating them, such as, bathing regularly, methods for trapping wild animals, and of course, the proper skinning and tanning techniques to create high-quality furs. On the other hand, John Rolfe also helped immensely in the growth and eventual flourishing of the Jamestown colony. For one, Rolfe boosted the economy of Jamestown so much as to have investors begin to seriously finance the small, yet booming settlement in the New World. As well as this, John Rolfe’s marriage to Pocahontas created a butterfly effect which created ties with many colonists in the Jamestown settlement to the local Native Americans. By bringing over the new strain of tobacco, John Rolfe effectively created new jobs and the first major cash crop in North America. Given these facts, in my opinion, John Rolfe saved the Jamestown settlement by bringing a …show more content…
Despite the fact John Smith defended against numerous war tribes, and helped create an impressive form of self-government, it was John Rolfe’s tobacco and marriage to Pocahontas that created trade deals and allowed England to start buying into the idea of a more colonies in the New World. John Rolfe also created a bond between the Native Americans and the Jamestown Colony which instead of focusing on short term goals as John Smith did, Rolfe created a bond through his marriage and his son which lasts to this day. The colony would not have survived without John Smith’s leadership; however, the colony would not have prospered without John Rolfe’s vital boost to Jamestown’s economy. Given the facts, John Rolfe stands out as the main reason the for the Jamestown Colony’s