Lived: 1580-1631 The Jamestown colony was on the border of starvation. Disease had ravaged the nascent colony, cutting its working populace to dangerous levels. So colonist and captain John Smith made a daring move: he headed into the Virginia wilderness to establish relations and trade with the natives. While at first successful, Smith was eventually captured, living among the natives and building a trust between the colonists and the local leader, Powhatan. Yet his bold efforts for the good of the settlement won him a permanent seat at the table of colonial heroes.