John Smith

John Smith's account of the history of Jamestown, The General History of Virginia, New England, and the Summer Isles, is a primary source of the events in Jamestown. Even though this is a primary source, the reader must question the accuracy of some of John Smith's statements. The majority of the writing that a historian would be concerned about is in all probability accurate. However, John Smith's "adventures" seem somewhat far fetched if not exaggerated. John Smith’s cockiness makes for an interesting and enjoyable read. His stories are more entertaining than the straightforward facts in his writings. Perhaps he anticipated this. His “tall tales” could have been a literary device used to keep his reader engaged in the reading. John Smith states several times in the passage that he is not a writer. But perhaps he was more of a writer than he thought. His mix of fact and fiction may invalidate some of his statements, but he was able to get his point across and maintain the readers interest.