Samuel is the protagonist of the novel, and through his eyes, the reader learns about his experiences traveling to the New World and settling at James Town. He has lived unhappily on the streets of London for a time as an orphan, so at the start of the story, he is completely alone in the world. Soon, however, his relationships with Reverend Hunt, Captain Smith, and Richard open his heart and heal his childhood injuries. Samuel’s feisty personality mellows as the novel progresses, and he proves to be a fast learner and a clever young man. Samuel does more than just survive James Town; he absorbs as much education as he can from the whole experience, becoming a fully active and valuable member of the community at the same time.

Captain Smith is a soldier and explorer with experience, knowledge, and intuition, and his leadership is essential to the survival of the first colonists of the New World. Though Captain Smith is more than capable of managing the expedition to the New World and then the settlement at James Town, he is not respected by the gentlemen traveling with him because he is a “commoner.” Captain Smith resents being treated badly for his lowly status, especially when his integrity and know-how enable the men to live as long as they do.