For Freedom and Profit

STEP 1 Assign positions and choose a name for your colony:

Colony's Name     __________________________________

Colonial Governor  __________________________________
Charter Writer     __________________________________
Surveyor           __________________________________
Clerk              __________________________________
Vestry  (optional) __________________________________



Useful Links

Colonial Governor: A Look at North American Colonies
Charter Writer: Sample Documents
Clerk: Documents, Timelines, Text, and Images
Surveyor: Sample Maps
Vestry: Colonial Resources

Plan Your Colony

STEP 2 Planning your Colony

1) As a joint-stock company, your investors will want to know the main 
reason for starting this colony. Common motives include searching for 
gold, raising cash crops, religious freedom, adventure, and criminal 
deportation. Keep in mind that your investors will be primarily 
interested in making a profit.

Purpose of our Colony:	

Search for Gold		Raise Cash Crops	Religious Freedom
			

2) How will your colonists afford passage? You may offer free passage 
for your colonists to the New World. Doing so will cost your company 
a lot of money, but you'll get many volunteers to go to your colony. 
Instead, you may require each person to pay his or her own way. Those 
who can pay for their own ticket will receive a "Headright" which is 
fifty acres of land in the New World. Those who can not afford passage 
may become Indentured Servants, giving 4 - 7 years of service to 
whomever paid their way across. This system of headrights and 
indentured servants will save your group money.

Offer Free Passage  -or-  Headright/Indentured Servants
 

3) How many colonists do you want to take to the New World? A small 
number such as 50 people will be inexpensive to support, but the 
colony will be less likely to survive. On the other hand, a large
number of colonists such as 400 will be costly to support, but 
increases the chances of survival for your colony.

Number of Colonists we want:_____________________________  
 

4) The amount and quality of supplies with which you choose to furnish 
your colony will influence the strength of your colony. The better 
equipped that your colony is, the more likely your colony will be to 
survive. Also, better equipped colonies will tend to attract more 
potential colonists. Determine how well supplied your colony will be:

                                                 COST
Exceptional Supplies                     18,000 British Pounds
Sufficient Supplies                      15,000 British Pounds
Meager Supplies                          10,000 British Pounds


5) At what latitude will you place your colony? Captain John Smith is 
mapping the Virginia colony, but much of the North American coastline 
remains unknown. You must choose a latitude for your colony between 32 N 
and 40 N degrees. The Spanish are in the Florida territory, just below 
30 N, and close proximity to the Spanish may lead to war; however, the 
lower latitudes may also be better suited for raising cash crops or 
finding gold. Do not choose the same location as Jamestown.

London is at 52 North.
Jamestown is at 37 North.       Your colony will be at __________North.
The Spanish are below 30 North.


6) One thing for sure, your colony will encounter the native people known
as Indians. How do you plan on dealing with the local tribes? On one hand, 
the Potowan tribe helped the people of Jamestown not to starve, but later 
on, fighting broke out with the Indians and hundreds of colonists have been 
slain. Your policy towards the Native Americans will be one of:

Friendly Cooperation          Indifference              Aggression

 
==========================================================================


STEP 3  Logistics

1) Starting Money

   You must now determine the starting money you've gathered from 
investors. Refer to Question #1 under Step 2, and check off the 
appropriate reason. You started your colony for . . .

Religious Freedom:    25,000 British Pounds
Cash Crops:           37,500 British Pounds
Search for Gold:      46,500 British Pounds

Your starting money is ________________ British Pounds.


2) How many people signed up for your colony?

   The amount of people that signed onto your colony is determined by
the quality of the supplies and the system of payment for passage 
across to the New World.

                              Free Passage       Headright/Indentured

Exceptional Supplies:             400                     350
Sufficient Supplies:              300                     250
Below Average Supplies:           100                      50

According to the chart above, how many colonists signed on? ___________
How many colonist did you initially want? (STEP TWO #3)________________
Did enough people show up to go?  YES or NO
How many colonist are you now actually taking? ________________________

3) Price of  the Passage across the Atlantic

   If you are paying for the passage of you colonist (they get to go 
free) then you must pay a price of 20 British Pounds per colonist. If 
you are using a system of Headright/Indentured Servants then the cost 
to your company will be zero British pounds.

Total cost for Passage of the Colonists:_______________________________


4) Price of Leasing the Ships

   Your company must lease ships for the journey to the New World. A 
ship can hold up to 100 colonists. Each ship will cost your group 
5000 British pounds.

How many ships:__________________
Total cost of ships:_____________


5) Crop Expense

   If your colony is growing cash crops, you will need to buy seed. 
The tobacco seed will cost 500 British Pounds. 

Money spent on seed:  0 British pounds    -or-   500 British pounds


6) Tradesmen

   In order to get skilled tradesmen to your colony, you will have to 
employ them. Hire as many from each profession as you think your colony
will require to succeed. Their salaries are as follows:

				One Year's Wages

Surgeon:                        60 British Pounds
Craftsmen:                      40 British Pounds
Animal Handlers:                20 British Pounds
Skilled Farmers:                30 British Pounds
Expert Navigator:               100 British Pounds
*Soldiers:                      15 British Pounds 

Total cost of all skilled colonists hired for the year:_____________

*If you chose to hire soldiers then you must hire at least 15 soldiers
(1 squad). Your minimum cost for soldiers will be 225 British pounds. 
Hire any or all of the above tradesmen and calculate the total costs 
in wages for a year.


7) Cost of Supplies. 

   Check off the supplies that your company decided to purchase. You'll 
find this in Step Two #4.	
							COST
Exceptional Quality Supplies                     18,000 British Pounds
Sufficient Quality Supplies                      15,000 British Pounds
Meager Quality Supplies                          10,000 British Pounds

Your supplies will cost __________________ British Pounds.


8) The Budget

   Add up all the money that your joint-stock company has spent. This is 
your TOTAL COST.Now subtract this from your STARTING MONEY. If you have 
any money left over, then you have a surplus. If you get a negative number, 
then you must rethink your colony and repeat Step 2 and Step 3 again. 


Starting Money:____________   (<- see #1)
Total Cost:________________   (<- see #3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
         
Surplus:___________________  




The Write Up

PART 4  The First Year

What will happen to your colony during its first year. Click on the link at 
the bottom of this page and find out.



 
PART 5   The Report to King James I


COLONIAL GOVERNOR 

   Write up a brief report on the status of your colony for the King. 
Include the following:

   A brief description of your voyage to America.
   A brief description of where you landed.
   Whether or not your colony is making a profit?
   Describe your relationship with the local Indians?
   Whether or not you are in contact with Jamestown?
   Whether or not your colony has survived?


CHARTER WRITER 

   You must write up a charter for your colony. Your charter will be a short 
description on how your colony will be governed. It should include the following:

   The name of your colony.
   The main purpose of your colony.
   A list of at least 10 laws governing your colony.
   A list of at least 5 guaranteed rights of your colonists.
   A description of what taxes will be collected.
   An appeal for the King's approval of the charter.
	

SURVEYOR

   You will draw the map of your colony. The map must cover an area of at least 
2 square miles. The map must also show the coastline, buildings/fort, church, 
farmland, docks, rivers, forests, and the nearest Indian tribe encampment. Lastly, 
include a compass rose and the longitude and latitude lines of the colony.

 

CLERK

   On poster board, you will create a chart with at least 4 illustrations.  
Includethe following information: 

   Name of the Colony
   Starting Money
   Total Expenses
   Surplus Money
   Number of Colonists
   Quality of Supplies
   Whether or not you are using a system of Headrights and Indentured Servants
   Number of Ships Leased
   Number and Type of Hired Tradesmen


VESTRY (optional)

   You will write a brief description (100-200 words) of the daily life in your 
colony. Include the following:

   Religious Obligations of the Colonists
   Clothing
   Daily Food
   Common Songs and/or Games

 


Events and Decisions

Events and Decisions: What happens to your colony? Decide and see.
Project Introduction: Go back to the beginning.