Summary: This lesson addresses a perplexing question: How could so many in Jamestown have starved to death in a land full of food? First, students simulate the economic practice of placing everything the colonists produced into the “common store” operated by the Virginia Company. Then students role-play a second scenario implemented after the arrival of Sir Thomas Dale in 1611. Dale instituted a system of private property in which every man received and cultivated three acres of farmland and the Virginia Company could not compel labor during harvest or planting. Students will assess the relationship between individualized incentives and production.
Overarching questions:
- ECONOMICS: How well does the government balance individual rights and the common good, including the need to maintain order, safety and a healthy environment, during this time period?
- ECONOMICS: What is the proper role of government in the economy? (Especially with regard to economic crises, national defense/security, health and safety of the people, and economic development and practices.)
NJ Student Learning Standards for Social Studies
- 6.1.12.GeoGI.1.a: Explain how geographic variations impacted economic development in the New World, and its role in promoting trade with global markets (e.g., climate, soil conditions, other natural resources)
- 6.1.12.EconGE.1.a: Explain how economic ideas and the practices of mercantilism and capitalism conflicted during this time period
Link to Lesson: Property Rights and U.S. History - Jamestown Simulation - Foundation For Teaching Economics (fte.org)