My Best M13C Chapter

Writing about this chapter was my favorite f0r a few reasons. Number one, I really like John Smith and it was really interesting to learn about what he accomplished in Virginia. Number two, I really like writing in another person’s perspective and being able to put myself in John Smith’s mind.  I got to think about it a lot more because I actually had to find solutions to the problems he would face.

Name: Liam

Date: October 3, 2016

7th Grade Humanities

Making 13 Colonies, Chapter 5 Response

Letter to London Company

Dear London Company,

As we soon found out the climate in Virginia is drastic. It is freezing in the winter and boiling in the summer. There is some new disease that we are calling malaria. But the main issue is that we brought horrible disease from London. We are coping with are issues and we have just discovered the community that inhabits Virginia. A tribe called The Powhatans live in the land we are building the settlement in. I have grown fond of them, but many of the men don’t trust the tribe and are planning attacks on them. I have just learned the Algonquian language and I am starting to translate for the Powhatans. I am starting to meet new Powhatans that are quite polite and very generous. There is this one girl named Pocahontas. She is very sweet and comes to the middle of our settlement to do cartwheels. Once when I was about to be killed by some of the Powhatan men, Pocahontas convinced Wahunsonacock, her father, who is the leader of the tribe, to spare me. She also warned me of a trap some Indian men were trying to ambush me with and I escaped with my life. The Powhatans and I have an interesting relationship. Sometimes they wanted to kill me, and others they shower me with gifts and love. I traded with them and gave them new things like compass and Horses.

I told everybody that If they wanted to eat they had to work. “Win or lose you will never regret working hard, making sacrifices, being disciplined or focusing too much.” All of the men started to work because they all wanted to eat. Besides the time when the colonists took me prisoner under the ship, they have always praysed me and respected my work. My relationship with the Indians has helped my fellow colonists thrive in this new land. As I traveled through the world my experience and knowledge grew. By the time I came to the Virginia I was hardworking and motivated. I have endured many frightening and death defying journeys in my life. In all of them I persevered and stayed alive. I believe that without me, the Jamestown colony would be a memory, a mere fairy tale. Once when I was in Hungaria I killed three attacking turks. I beheaded them and in return was given a coat of arms with a depiction of the 3 men. Many years ago I killed my master and was thrown into the mediterranean sea. I found my way to Russia, where i traveled to Poland, then Germany, and then Africa where I heroically fought dangerous pirates. Just a few months ago, I persuaded the Powhatan tribe into trading one of our boys, Tom Savage, for a boy named Namontack. Namontack has already set sail to London with Christopher Newport, and Tom is adjusting to his new home, learning their traditions and culture. I have to be frank. Your business has showed very little sense. When you started paying everybody the same salary and refused to let them buy land, the men became lazy and without me nothing would have gotten done. You almost brought this whole settlement down, and without me pushing the men into working harder, James Town would be nothing.

Sincerely,

John Smith