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Teaching suggestions: A Brief Description of the Province of Carolina

Teaching suggestions designed to support students' understanding of a 17th-century primary source document — a pamphlet produced in London at the request of the Lords Proprietors describing the economic opportunity and religious freedom available to settlers in Carolina.

A lesson plan for grade 8 English Language Arts and Social Studies

By Pauline S. Johnson

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These teaching suggestions will help you discuss “A Brief Description of the Province of Carolina” with your class and will provide opportunities for students to demonstrate their understanding of the reading. The questions and activities will encourage students to think critically about the text and to develop historical empathy.

  • Selling the colony. Ask students to design a sales brochure to attract settlers to the Carolina colony. They will use this text as their background information. Students should include the following:
    1. A picture
    2. A map
    3. What kind of settlers should come to Carolina?
    4. What is the geography like there?
    5. What else would draw them to Carolina?

  • “A most comfortable subsistence.” Have the students examine this text and decide in what ways the author attempted to explain that Carolina would be a much better place for English to settle than Virginia or the West Indies.

  • Targeted advertising. Discuss with students the different groups that are listed in this document. Why do they think the advertisement suggested that these people would be welcome in Carolina?
    1. “Younger brother” of nobility (Gentile blood) — for this group you will want to discuss the primogeniture policy of the English nobility, which is in the commentary for this section.
    2. Carpenters, wheelwrights, joiners, coopers, bricklayers, smiths, husbandmen, laborers and other “artificers”
    3. Maid or single woman
    4. (Indentured) servants

  • “The Felicities of this Country.” Have the students put each of the six “privileges” into their own words.
    1. Why would each of these have attracted people to Carolina?
    2. As the students discuss this information, you may want to address which of these are rights that we take for granted today.
    3. How many of these privileges are economic? Why would these have been included?
    4. Why would the set-up of a government be included in the privileges? Would ordinary men and women have cared about this? Why or why not?
    5. Why did the proprietors so desperately want new settlers to Carolina?

North Carolina curriculum alignment

Social Studies (2003)

Grade 8

  • Goal 1: The learner will analyze important geographic, political, economic, and social aspects of life in the region prior to the Revolutionary Period.
    • Objective 1.01: Assess the impact of geography on the settlement and developing economy of the Carolina colony.
    • Objective 1.05: Describe the factors that led to the founding and settlement of the American colonies including religious persecution, economic opportunity, adventure, and forced migration.

  • Common Core State Standards

    • English Language Arts (2010)

      • History/Social Studies

        • Grades 6-8
          • 6-8.LH.2 Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.

  • North Carolina Essential Standards

    • Social Studies (2010)

      • Grade 8

        • 8.H.1 Apply historical thinking to understand the creation and development of North Carolina and the United States. 8.H.1.1 Construct charts, graphs, and historical narratives to explain particular events or issues. 8.H.1.2 Summarize the literal meaning of...