The British in Bengal and Jamestown
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SET

OBJECTIVES

Students will be able to:

• compare and contrast characteristics of two British colonies, Jamestown and Bengal, along economic, political, and social lines
• formulate a historically-based argument calling for government support of one colony or the other.

RELEVANCE

The British explored the Americas with two goals in mind: to find the abundant quantities of gold rumored to exist in the New World and to discover a shorter water route (than traveling around the tip of Africa) to India in order to take advantage of a booming trade in silks and spices. British explorers who ended up in America, however, stumbled upon very different situations The comparison of British colonies in India and North America enables students to gain real insight into British motives for exploration and discovery.

INVOLVEMENT OF THE LEARNERS

Ask students "Why do you think we call native inhabitants of the Americas 'Indians'?" Use this question as the basis for a brief discussion of the aims of exploration and colonization.

Some possible questions:

1. Why was America initially mistaken for India?

2. What were British explorers searching for by coming to America?

EXPLANATION

ORGANIZATION

Teacher will lecture from background notes, concentrating on comparing key factors between the colonies. Students will take notes as resources for the following activity.

ACTIVITY

Teacher will divide students into "two opposing factions of British Parliament." One side will be the "Jamestown faction" and one will be the "Bengal faction." It is the mid-17^th century and, hypothetically, the British Parliament must decide whether to fund one colony or the other because of severely limited resources. Have the students formulate arguments within their groups as to why the government should support their particular group. Hold a class debate, with the teacher acting as moderator. Some questions which might facilitate the debate:

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. What is more important to the British economy, trading or agriculture?
2. What are the opportunities for the future expansion of these colonies?
3. How well has the colony fulfilled its original economic goals?
4. How important are relationships with the indigenous peoples to the success of the colonies?
5. Which colony will require greater monetary aid from the government?

EVALUATION

CLOSURE

Ask students to step out of their roles as Members of Parliament and vote on which colony they think would have been more profitable to the British in the next hundred years after their "debate."

ASSESSMENT

Have each student complete a 1-2 page written argument, in which historical facts must be used to support the student's opinion as to which colony the government should support. Students do not have to argue for the group they were in, but should choose one side or the other.

MATERIALS

• Background notes on Bengal and Jamestown

For further reading

Moorhouse, Geoffrey. India Brittanica. New York: Harper & Row (1983).

Goshal, Kumar. People in Colonies. New York: Sheridan House (1948).

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