|
Christopher Newport
was an English privateer (the commander of a ship privately
owned and crewed but authorized by a government during
wartime to attack and capture enemy
vessels-http://dictionary.com). He transported colonists to
the first permanent colony in America.
King James of
England desperately wanted a claim for England in the New
World. He created two companies: The Virginia Company of
London and the Plymouth Company. Christopher Newport was
hired by the Virginia Company and on December 19, 1606,
Newport set sail from London, England with three ships:
Susan Constant, Godspeed and Discovery. On board were
English settlers bound for Jamestown, including John Smith
of Pocahontas fame. These men were "gentlemen" and not
suited for the rough life they would encounter in the New
World. Jamestown was founded on May 14, 1607.
In June, Newport
returned to England for supplies and more settlers, leaving
behind 104 colonists. When he returned to Jamestown the next
year, most of the settlers had died from starvation, Indian
attacks or disease. It is said that Newport prevented John
Smith from being killed for not protecting his men from
Indian attack. This happened after Pocahontas had saved
Smith from execution by her father.
In 1609, Newport
made a fourth trip to America and was shipwrecked off of the
Bermuda Islands.
Years later
(1613-1614) Newport sailed for the East India Company to
Asia. He died in Java (Indonesia) in 1617 on a voyage to the
East Indies.
|
Famous Biographies
