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Title: Slaves Arrive in Jamestown: A Cause and Effect Lesson
Historical Background: In the summer of 1619 two significant changes occurred in Jamestown that
would have lasting influence. One was the company's introduction of representative government to
English America, which began on July 30 with the opening of the General Assembly.
The second far-reaching development was the arrival in the colony (in August) of the first Africans in
English America. They had been carried on a Portuguese slave ship sailing from Angola to Veracruz,
Mexico. While the Portuguese ship was sailing through the West Indies, it was attacked by a Dutch man-
of-war and an English ship out of Jamestown. The two attacking ships captured about 50 slaves—men,
women, and children—and brought them to outposts of Jamestown. More than 20 of the African captives
were purchased there. Records concerning the lives and status of these first African Americans are very
limited. It can be assumed that they were put to work on the tobacco harvest, very difficult and arduous
work. The arrival of the first slaves in America would lead to economic success for the agrarian south
and a peculiar social system that would include slaves at the bottom. The long reaching effects of the
importation of these first slaves are many and varied but it ultimately culminates in the Civil War that
divides a young United States of America.
"Jamestown Colony." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2007. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 16 Aug. 2007 <http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-
247840>.
Correlation to New York State 7/8 Social Studies Core Curriculum:
Unit Two: European Exploration and Colonization of the Americas
I. European Exploration and Settlement
III. Life in Colonial Communities
Suggested Timeframe: 35-40 minutes
Materials and Resources:
• Examples of Possible Student Responses on Chart
• Chart paper and markers
Student Objectives: Students will be able to:
• Investigate the causes and prior causes for the institution of slavery in the Colonies, beginning in
Jamestown.
• Understand the concept of historical causality
• Hypothesize the effects and subsequent effects of the importation of slaves to the Jamestown
colony in 1619.
• Formulate a conclusion as to the impact the importation of slaves in 1619 had on our country.
Teaching Strategies, Procedures, and Methodologies:
1. This lesson will utilize a cause and effect model to lead 7th or 8th grade students through an
investigation of a seminal event in early colonial history; the arrival of twenty black slaves to the
Jamestown colony in 1619. Students will review what they know about the event and then
hypothesize about causes and effects and prior causes and subsequent effects. Ultimately they
will draw a conclusion and arrive at a generalization of how this incident affected the course of
American history. Ideally, this lesson should be used after the students have covered the colonial
period and reached the start of the Civil War. The possession of content knowledge will allow
students answers and their discussion to go to a deeper level of complexity. The teacher will
facilitate by asking questions and follow-up questions but not offering answers.
2. The teacher will begin the “cause and effect” lesson by presenting the topic to be analyzed. In
this case it is the event: Slaves Arrive in Jamestown. The teacher will write the topic in the center
of the chart on the chalkboard. (See template for chart below).
4 2 1 3 5
Prior Causes Causes Topic Effects Subsequent
Effects
3. Students will be put in groups. Groups may be as large as 4 students, but keeping the groups
small allows for greater participation from its members. Each group will receive a piece of
newsprint paper and a magic marker. Before they begin, each group will select one person to
record answers.
4. The group will be instructed to divide the newsprint vertically into 5 equal columns. The column
in the center should be labeled, Slaves Arrive in Jamestown, the title of the topic to be analyzed.
The title of the other columns will be “causes”, “effects”, “prior causes”, and “subsequent
effects.” The teacher’s chart on the chalkboard should provide a template for the students to set
up their own charts.
5. Students should begin with the column labeled “Causes.” Group members should all contribute
in listing as many causes/reasons for the importation of slaves to Jamestown as they can think of.
The group recorder writes down all answers the group agrees upon. The groups should be given
3-4 minutes to think of all possible answers.
6. Without reporting out, the groups will move to the column labeled “Effects.” The teacher will
ask groups to now list all effects the arrival of in Jamestown in 1619 had upon Colonial America.
Before students begin, the teacher should focus student thinking by stating the question “What are
some things that happened as a result of the arrival of slaves to the Jamestown colony?” The
students should have 3-4 minutes to come up with their answers.
7. After the student groups have completed the “cause” and “effect” sections of the chart, they
should move next to the “Prior Causes” and “Subsequent Effects” sections, beginning with prior
causes. The students should take each cause and attempt to come up with a “cause for those
causes.” For example, if the students stated a cause for the arrival of slaves to Jamestown as
“gold and silver were scarce in Virginia”, students should describe the role “ gold and silver”
played in Jamestown. Students might answer the question, “Why were gold and silver were
desired by the inhabitants of the Jamestown colony?” Each group should think list as many prior
causes as they can. Groups will have 3-4 minutes to come up with their answers. Each group
will then move to the far right of their chart and list answers for subsequent effects. Again, they
are to take each effect separately and list what were the effects of each effect listed. Students will
have 3-4 minutes to finish the chart. Time allowed for steps 2 through 7 should be approximately
20 minutes.
8. Next, the teacher will ask the groups to report out. Using the chart on the board, the teacher will
begin to list the results from the student groups, beginning with “causes”. Each group should
offer at least one answer for each column. After each response, the teacher should ask students to
support their thinking. It is not necessary to write the support on the chalkboard, but it is
important for students to substantiate their thinking.
9. The rest of the columns will then be filled-in, going in the same order as they were answered by
the students in their groups. Time allowed for steps 8 and 9 should be approximately 10 minutes.
10. Students should now be ready to formulate conclusions from the activity. Ask the groups to turn
their charts over to the back of the newsprint. They should label the top section “Conclusion”.
Students will be asked to draw a conclusion regarding the event. The teacher should ask the
students to respond to the following question: “Thinking about the arrival of slaves in Jamestown
in 1619, what impact did the arrival of slaves in America have upon our country?” Student
groups should be given 4-5 minutes to come up with a conclusion and then write it down on the
newsprint. After, each group should read their conclusion to the rest of the class. The teacher
can ask follow-up questions. As an alternative, each group can select a member to go the
chalkboard and write their conclusions on the board. Afterward, the teacher can read the
conclusions to the class and ask follow-up questions. Time allowed for this final step should be
5-10 minutes.
Evaluation/Assessment
During the lesson, teacher should provide feedback to the groups as well as individuals. The teacher
should focus not only on the quality of the answers (such as originality and thoughtfulness), but the
behavior of the students as well. Focus on the constructiveness of the discussions within the groups, the
ability or non-ability for students to listen to their classmates. Comment on how they disagreed with each
other and the flexibility they showed. Lastly, remark on their manners in working within the group.
After the lesson, the teacher may collect the newsprint charts and derive an effort grade based on the work
presented.
About the Author:
Fred J. Saccocio, Jr. teaches 8th grade social studies at Draper Middle School in Rotterdam, NY.
Examples of Possible Student Responses on Chart
4 2 1 3 5
Prior Causes Causes Topic Effects Subsequent
Effects
Portuguese had Indentured Slaves arrive in Slave laws of
already begun Servants only Jamestown Jamestown Institutionalized
slave trade available for 4- slavery is
7 years Tobacco established
Slaves in the profitable as (slavery
West Indies Magna Carta cash crop recognized in
protects rights Virginia in
English desire of Social 1661)
for profit in “Englishmen” hierarchy
New World established in Slavery grows in
Africans not Jamestown the southern
English likely to escape colony with colonies
jealousy of the (unfamiliar black slaves at
Spanish wealth with territory) bottom Other cash crops
follow tobacco
English Need for labor 1st slaves arrive
“gentlemen” in the tobacco in 1619 “Sectionalism”
dislike for fields emerges
work Slave
Native rebellions Controversy
English Americans can emerges over
merchants seek easily escape slavery during
Charters for captivity Revolutionary
settlement in period and
the New World “Black” or Constitutional
black skin Convention
represents evil
to many people Abolitionist
of this period movement
begins
Easy to spot a
black person The Civil War
upon escape
Constitutional
Gold and silver Amendments 13,
scarce at 14, 15
Jamestown
John Rolfe
brings tobacco
cultivation to
Jamestown
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