Colonies in Profile: Firearms, Private Property, Trade

•Collect colonial city maps drawn on Tuesday.
•Warm-Up question: What were the primary ways in which life as a colonial citizen was different than life as a citizen in 17th century England?
•Outline for students the near universal ownership of firearms among the colonists for self-defense, for hunting, and, when necessary, for the common self-defense.
•Discuss how private property opportunities and protections enabled commoners to earn their livelihood in freedom and contributed to the characteristics of Americans as industrious and independent.
•Explain to students the several kinds of trade and vocational trades present in the various colonies. Farming was, of course, the main livelihood, but manufacturing, fishing, whaling, shipbuilding, and other trades (particularly in New England) rapidly emerged as key colonial contributions. Trade was principally with England, but the British colonies of North America developed robust trade among one another and with the colonies of other nations as well.
•Game Activity: The “Build Your Own Land” Simulation
Objective: Show how private property encourages responsibility and creativity.
Materials: Colored paper, markers, and small “resource” items (beans, paper clips, etc.)
Directions:
Divide students into small groups and give each group a blank sheet of paper — their “land.”
Scatter shared resources in the center of the room (beans = food, paper clips = tools, etc.).
Round 1: No one owns anything — students can take what they want. Chaos usually follows.
Round 2: Each group “owns” their land and can gather resources only from their property.
Afterward, discuss:
-How did ownership change your behavior?
-Was the class more organized when everyone had clear property rights?
-What rules are needed to protect or share property fairly?
Extension: Connect this to colonial America, where land ownership often meant freedom, wealth, and political rights.