Land Distribution
[ Corporate Colonization Main Page ] [ Teaching About Jamestown Main Page ] [ Jamestown Virtual Colony Main Page ]

Set:

Objectives:

Students will:

1. Record notes on the Great Charter, Particular plantations, and the Headright system.
2. Assume the perspective of an owner or a worker of a particular plantation and summarize the opinions of that group. Present these opinions to the other side.
3. Evaluate the meaning and importance of land and land ownership in Jamestown and today in a page long analysis.

Relevance:

Studying land and land distribution is essential because it has been an important currency throughout the development of America and remains so today. Land enabled settlers to succeed in agriculture which offered great profits. It also represented political power and social prestige within the settlement. The promise of land ownership was one main attraction for traveling to America, some succeeded in securing land while others did not. This tension is a theme throughout American history and contributed to tragic events such as Baconís Rebellion.

Involving Learners:

Have each student write three ideas that they have about land. What does it represent to them? What problems do they see with owning land? Why is land so important especially to the early settlers?

Explanation:

1. Once the class has thought about land and its importance, ask students to offer their ideas to the class. Record these ideas on the board.
2. Explain to the class that you are going to focus on three major aspects of land and land distribution in the Jamestown colony: The Great Charter, Particular Plantations, and the Headright System. You will present the information within direct instruction strategy to give students background information needed to participate in the activity. Present overhead projector with outline of material so students can follow along with discussion and take notes.
   LECTURE NOTES
   1. Land Distribution
      1. Great Charter
         1. detailed land distribution system
         2. paid stockholder a dividend in units of 100 acres
      2. Particular Plantation
         1. a private plantation that consisted of individual stockholderís land dividends combined
         2. the stockholders were responsible for all expenses of the plantation including workers
            1. increased Indentured Servants
         3. Examples
            1. Smith's Hundred
            2. Berkeley's Hundred
      3. Headright System
         1. encouraged upper class Englishmen to settle in America
         2. further Indentured Servitude
         3. increased class distinctions within Jamestown
         4. political participation dependent on land ownership
   
   
3. Explain the Great Charter, of November 1618, was among the most important documents in Virginia History. It contained two basic sections which outlined a innovative land distribution system for the colony and extended the London Company governance over the colony. This government later became the Virginia General Assembly. More important to the colonists was the section on land distribution. They nicknamed this section "the Charter of Orders, Lawes and Privileges." It attempted to pay investors their dividends, encourage immigration, maintain the cost of the charter and diversify the economy. Initially it gave each investor a dividend of 100 acres with 100 more to be received later. It also initiated the headright system where each person arriving after 1616, paying his own way or the voyage of someone else, was entitled to 50 acres. Secondly, it allowed stockholders and non-stockholders to join together and purchase titles of particular plantations. Finally, it reorganized the districts and government of Virginia colony. The colony was divided into four sections. Each section received 3,000 acres for half-share tenants and 1,500 for officials. Lastly the governor is paid 3,000 acres in place of a salary. This charter proved very successful as population increased rapidly and plantations began to grow.

   Pivotal Questions:

   1. What did the Great Charter establish?
   2. Why was this document deemed successful?
   3. Are there any disadvantages to this document that are seen in retrospect?
   
   
4. Move discussion to particular plantation system established in the Great Charter. Particular plantations were voluntary associations of stockholders and non-stockholders who combined dividends and together controlled land. The members were fully financially responsible for their plantation including all labor needed. This increased indentured servitude in which the indentured servant was loyal to a plantation and not the company. The first plantation was Smith's Hundred in 1617 and it was run by Thomas Smith, Sandys, and the Earl of Southampton. The plantation was 80,000 acres along the Chickahominy River. Most of the plantation were settled villages similar to the English countryside. The most unique aspect of the plantation system was that they were run completely separately from the company.

   Pivotal Questions:

   1. What was the particular plantation system? What modern day institution does it resemble? (Corporations)
   2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of plantation system?
   3. How did the plantation system begin to transfer the balance of power within the colony?

5. Finally, explain that the headright system was a 50-acre reward to those settlers who paid their own way to Jamestown or paid the way of someone else. This lead to increased immigration of English gentleman and indentured servants. Many wealthy landowners already settled in Jamestown formed a labor force for their plantations by importing indentured servants. This further social disparity among Jamestown settlers. (More information can be found at: leo.vsla.edu/vanotes.

   Pivotal Questions:

   1. Why was the headright system initiated?
   2. What are the major results of the headright system?

Activity:

1. Ask students to divide into two large groups. One group will be the associates of a particular plantation and the other group will be the workers, mainly indentured servants.
2. Have the students decide on the name, location, size, and crops grown on their particular plantation.
3. Have each side describe the plantation from their perspective based on the location and size decided by the class. What does it look like? Where do they live? What are they producing? Is it successful? Ask one student to record answers from each side. These answers may be slightly inconsistent but allowing each group to decide will encourage imagination.
4. Then ask each side to discuss their goals within the plantation. What does each group want? Why did they join the plantation or decide to work there? Are they happy with the plantation? What grievances do they have? What power does each group have?
5. Then explain that they are going to have a meeting to discuss the plantation. Each side will be able to present their requests and opinions. Then the other will be able to respond and offer a counter agreement. Although this activity is very unlikely to have occurred in Jamestown, it will allow the students to become personally involved and assume the perspective of plantation actual owners and workers of the period
6. Remind students to be respectful of their peers and begin discussion. Attempt to allow each side to state their case and to listen to the opinion of the opposing side.
7. Continue discussion as long as time permits.

Closure:

Have students reflect on the activity. What did they learn about particular plantations? Did they express their opinion? Did the other side accept their requests? What were their feelings towards the other group?

Assignment:

Have students write a 1/2-1 page description of the importance of land and land ownership to the settlers of Jamestown. What did it represent? What privileges did it secure? Is land still as important today? In what ways is land ownership now similar and different to Jamestown?

Materials: Overhead projector, overhead projector sheets, pens or chalkboard and chalk

This page was last updated on and is maintained by the UVA's Program in Social Studies Education.
URL for this page: http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu.