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John Smith (1579-1631)
"You must obey this now for a Law, that he that will not worke shall not eate, except by sickness he be disabled."
John Smith sailed from England in 1606 and established the first successful English colony in America, known as Jamestown, in present-day Virginia. Smith reported that Native Algonquins wary of the colonists' presence there seized him, and the chief's daughter Pocahontas interceded on his behalf, but scholars do not universally confirm the veracity of the incident. However, it remains a part of the folklore and history associated with Jamestown.

It is agreed that Smith's explorations also extended north beyond Jamestown, to the areas of Maine and Massachusetts. Today, the region still bears the name he gave it - New England.
Articles:
Exploring New England
Source:
John Smith: Explorer & Colonial Leader, 2000
Accession Number:
9204097
Lexile:
980
Database(s):
History Reference Center
The Colonists Get to Work
Source:
John Smith: Explorer & Colonial Leader, 2000
Accession Number:
9204096
Lexile:
950
Database(s):
History Reference Center
Rescue and Redemption
Source:
World & I, Sep2002, Vol. 17 Issue 9, p172
Accession Number:
7336027
Lexile:
1370
Database(s):
MAS Ultra - School Edition
Speech:
Speech to Captain John Smith
Source:
Essential Documents in American History, 1492-Present, p39
Accession Number:
9708102274
Lexile:
1200
Database(s):
 Reference Center, Middle Search Plus, MAS Ultra-School Edition