Captain John Smith and Pocahontas 1953

Smith narrates Jamestown to King James I

Captain John Smith presents the Jamestown story to the court of King James I, framing it as a cautionary tale of exploration and governance. He sets the stage for a colony beset by hardships, political scheming, and the tension between settlers and native power. The audience learns that survival hinges on leadership, diplomacy, and daring actions.

1607 Jamestown hardships; Wingfield plans abandonment

In 1607, the Jamestown settlers face famine, disease, and conflicts with the Powhatan. Captain Wingfield begins plotting to abandon the settlement. His plan threatens the colony’s future unless a new leader can assert control.

Smith escapes Godspeed and warns the camp

Smith, locked aboard the Godspeed, escapes and swims to the river bank. He then warns the camp of an imminent Indian attack, galvanizing the colonists. This bold escape marks the first step in his leadership role.

First Indian attack repelled; burning arrows

The colonists repel the first Indian attack as burning arrows rain down on the camp. Smith orders John Rolfe to swim across the river to warn the ships, expanding the danger beyond the fort. The defense buys crucial time for the settlement.

Second Indian attack repelled by cannon fire

A second assault tests the settlers' resolve, but cannon fire from the ships drives the Indians back. Smith helps coordinate the defense from the stockaded camp. The ships’ armament proves decisive in keeping the colony intact.

Smith is elected leader; the stockade rises

Smith is elected leader of the colony, and the settlers begin constructing a wooden stockade for protection. This new fortification marks a turning point in Jamestown’s governance and safety. The community begins to organize under his steady hand.

Rations run low; ships have gone

Rations run dangerously low as morale thins and hope wanes. To compound the crisis, the ships that brought supplies to Jamestown are nowhere to be seen. The settlers must rely on improvisation and growing crops to survive.

Peace mission to Powhatan; Pocahontas saves Smith

Smith journeys to seek peace with Chief Powhatan, hoping to ease tensions. During the voyage, he meets Pocahontas briefly and is later captured by warriors. Before execution, Pocahontas intervenes to save him, altering the fate of both peoples.

Pocahontas saves him; marriage for peace

Pocahontas saves Smith from execution and becomes a symbol of peace between settlers and native people. Later, she is married to Smith to seal the peacekeeping alliance between Jamestown and Powhatan. Their marriage signals a fragile, necessary truce that sustains the colony for a time.

Gold discovered; Wingfield's plan to withhold

The next day, a settler discovers gold and reports it to Wingfield. Wingfield plots to fail the colony so that the gold never reaches The Virginia Company. The scheme reveals the churn of ambition that jeopardizes the settlers.

Smith returns with supplies and crops lessons

Smith returns with Indigenous allies who bring supplies and teach the colonists how to cultivate crops. The colonists gain much-needed resources, knowledge, and food security from these relationships. His leadership contributes to stabilizing the settlement’s precarious economy.

Macklin spots Wingfield; Turnbull kills him; Nataquas blamed

The following day, Macklin spots Wingfield hiding gold and supplying weapons to Opechanco's warriors. Turnbull kills Macklin, and Nataquas is blamed and lashed before Smith arrives to set the record straight. The revelation accelerates the colony’s crisis, highlighting Wingfield's treachery.

Wingfield's treachery and Opechanco attack; Pocahontas warns; Smith seeks vengeance

Wingfield orders the attack with Opechanco to wipe out the colonists, though he hopes to spare himself. The settlers repel the assault, and Turnbull is killed by an arrow. Opechanco kills Nataquas; Pocahontas runs to Jamestown to warn Smith, who vows to avenge Nataquas by confronting Opechanco.

Davis killed; gunpowder storehouse fire; Smith escapes

Wingfield kills Davis for the gold and ignites the gunpowder storehouse. Smith fights Wingfield and escapes from the hut as it explodes. The dramatic blaze underscores the colony’s perils and Smith’s bravery.

Ships arrive; Smith rests; Smith sails back to England; Rolfe stays

The ships finally arrive, and a doctor urges Smith to rest aboard the ship. Smith sails back to England, leaving John Rolfe in charge of Jamestown. The frame closes with the sense of an unfinished tale and the voyage home.