John Smith (c. January 1580 – 21 June 1631), Admiral of New England, was an
English soldier,
explorer, and author. He was
knighted for his services to
Sigismund Bathory, Prince of
Transylvania, and his friend
Mózes Székely. He was considered to have played an important part in the establishment of Jamestown, the first permanent
English settlement in North America. He was a leader of the
Virginia Colony (based at Jamestown) between September 1608 and August 1609, and led an exploration along the rivers of Virginia and the
Chesapeake Bay. He was the first English explorer to map the Chesapeake Bay area and New England.