Coming to the New World in the seventeenth century was an opportunity for English writers to establish a sense of who they are. Captain John Smith and Governor William Bradford were two significant figures in the early years of the English colonies. Both Bradford and Smith’s writings reveal an interest in defining their identity, their goals and purposes, as well as their relationship to the New World and its inhabitants. Through their accounts of their time in the New World, Smith and Bradford create contrasting portraits of the ideal American. While strategically writing in the third person, John Smith describes the ideal American as a heroic man of action who is selfless and brave. Throughout his narrative, John Smith refers to himself
