Colonization, Colonization, Colonization
Based on the video we just watched, talk in your groups and see if you can come up with two challenges that the colonists in Jamestown faced.
Now we are going to look at what it might have been a little bit like in Jamestown. The purpose of the colony was to gather resources, especially gold. However, there was some pretty strict living. Let's take a look at some of the rules.
Your job is to read through the follow excerpt from the Jamestown Code. These are the laws in which the Jamestown Colonists lived. Afterwards, answer the questions in blue and turn your answers in on Google Classroom.
The following is a simplified version of some of the Lawes Divine, Morall and Martiall, etc.
compiled by William Strachey
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Every man and woman will attend church services twice a day on each work day upon hearing
the tolling of the bell.
Not attending will result in losing his or her day’s food for the first
offense, being whipped for the second offense and being condemned to the gallows (jail) for six months for the third offense.
Every man and woman shall attend church service on Sunday morning and afternoon. Not attending will result in loss of provisions and allowance for a whole week on the first offense.
For the second offense, he or she shall lose their allowance and be whipped. For the third
offense, he or she shall suffer death.
Anyone who takes an oath untruthfully or gives false testimony (lies) about another person shall be punished with death.
No one shall criticize, tell lies about, disobey or resist the orders of the Lord Governor and Captain General, Lieutenant General, Marshall, Council or any authorized Captain or public
officer. For doing so the first time, one will be whipped three times and must, while on their knees, ask for forgiveness on Sunday in front of the church congregation. For a second offense, one will be
condemned to the gallows (jailed) for three years. For a third offense, one will be punished with death.
No man shall say or do anything to disgrace or embarrass another person in the colony. For doing so, one will have his head and feet tied together every night for one month and be publicly disgraced (embarrassed) himself. He will forever after be unable to possess any place or hold any office.
No man, unless appointed by a lawful authority, shall barter or trade with the Indians.
No man shall take away anything by force from any Indian coming to trade or in any other situation.
No man shall take, lose, or willfully break a spade, shovel, hatchet, axe, or other tool, or you will be whipped.
Every tradesman shall work at his trade dutifully (hard) each day or lose meals for one month for the first offense, three months for the second offense, and one year for the third offense. If he
continues to ignore his work, he will be condemned to the gallows for 3 years.
No man or woman shall run away from the colony to the Indians, or they will be put to death.
Anyone who robs a garden, public or private, or a vineyard, or who steals ears of corn shall be punished with death.
No member of the colony will sell or give any commodity of this country to a captain, mariner, master or sailor to transport out of the colony, for his own private uses, upon pain of death.
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Answer the following questions
Do you feel these laws are fair?
Why do you think these laws needed to be so harsh?
What advantages would laws like these have?
What disadvantages would laws like these have?
Would you rather live in todays world, with the laws we have, or in the colony?
How do you think the people of the United States would react if these laws were used now?
----------Turn your answers in on Google Classroom---------