Origins and Foundations of
American Government
Session 3: The Role of the Virginia Company of London

Materials

• Internet access

Instructional Activities

1. Introduce the charters of the Virginia Company of London by having students examine the article “The Virginia Company of London: Success or Failure?” available from the Colonial National Historical Park. (Provide a copy, or direct students to the Web site <http://www.nps.gov/colo/Jthanout/VACompany.html>.)
   
   
2. Divide the class into groups, and have them examine the charters to see how many names they are familiar with. Instruct them to focus on the second and third charters. This is a way for them to see that names that they may see on a daily basis are found in these early charters of the founding of Virginia. The activity may be carried further by having the students construct a chart of the different types of occupations and their numbers that are included in the lists of the second and third charters.

NOTE: This reading can be a bit advanced, so teachers who are going to use the copies of the actual documents may wish to provide excerpts to prove the relevant points.