Captain John Smith was one of the first leaders in the settlement of Jamestown, in the Virginia Colony. After the killing winter of 1609 when only 50 of the 600 settlers survived, Captain Smith encouraged farming with a famous admonition taken from the New Testament (II Thessalonians 3:10): “He who does not work, will not eat.”
According to Wikipedia: He gave the name New England to that region, and encouraged people with the comment, “Here every man may be master and owner of his owne labour and land… If he have nothing but his hands, he may… by industrie quickly grow rich.” His message attracted millions of people in the next four centuries.
I believe this was the moment of conception of America, for on this day was borne the dream, the belief, that by our own labors we may create our own success. Many of the early settlers left the aristocracy [1] of England because the system of aristocracy, and elitism [2] led to mediocrity, and was a hindrance to success, and ensured the only the very few in the ruling class, and their friends would succeed. Captain Smith singlehandedly shattered aristocracy in America.
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