Colonial Virginia Economics

History in Your Own Backyard, Primers to the Past: Teaching Our Past

Colonial Virginia Economics

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Colonial Virginians would use tobacco to buy just about anything they wanted. Colonists exported tobacco, wheat, corn and natural resources to England in exchange for manufactured goods.

One English merchant that George Washington purchased goods from was Robert Cary & Company. George Washington exported tobacco to the English merchant in exchange for merchandise. Mr. Cary would sell George Washington the goods on credit and charge Mr. Washington's account until the tobacco arrived later by ship. George Washington would continue to send the English merchant hogsheads of tobacco to pay his debts along with new invoices for any other goods he wanted to buy.

Below, are partial lists of invoices sent by George Washington to the English merchant in May, 1759 and September, 1759.

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George Washington sent 16 hogshead of tobacco and an invoice requesting goods he wanted Robert Cary and Company to send him on the first ship bound for the Potomac or Rappahannock River in May, 1759.

*INVOICE OF SUNDRY GOODS TO BE SHIP'D BY ROBT. CARY ESQ., AND COMPANY FOR THE USE OF GEORGE WASHINGTON-VIZ:

4 Fashionable China Branches, & stands, for Candles
I Fashionable Sett of Desert Glasses, and Stands for Sweet Meats Jellys
2 Neat fire Screens---2 Setts of Chamber, or Bed Carpets
6 Carving knives and Forks---50 lbs Spirms Citi Candles

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On September, 1759 George Washington sent another invoice for goods he wanted to buy, but this time requesting credit from the English merchant.

Please to send the Goods contain'd in the Inclos'd Invoices and charge them as their directed.

*INVOICE OF SUNDRIES TO BE SENT BY ROBERT CARY AND COMPANY FOR USE OF GEORGE WASHINGTON

2 best two bladed knives	A Light Summer Suit
2 pr of good horse scissors	2 best pln Beaver Hats
2 sacks of best English Oats	1 ps. of Irish Linnen
1 dozn painter's brushes	6 lb. Perfumed Powder
1ps. of black 60. Satin Ribbon	6 pr Women's best kid gloves

Source: J.C. Fitzpatrick, The Writings of Washington.

History in Your Own Backyard

Lesson Plan:
Economic Influences on the Virginia Colony

Passages:
Tobacco and Slavery in the Virginia Colony

Activity:
Tobacco and the Virginia Colony

Activity:
Colonial Virginia Economic System Vocabulary Terms

Notes & Primary Source Material:
Colonial Virginia Economics

Activity:
Colonial Virginia Economic Questions Review

Activity:
Tobacco in Colonial Virginia - Cause & Effect

Activity:
Colonial Virginia Economic Vocabulary Review

Activity:
Valuable Tobacco/Valuable Tobacco Questions

Activity:
Tobacco and Slavery

Activity:
Slave Labor in the Virginia Colony

Activity:
The Many Jobs of A Slave

Activity:
A Fredericksburg Plantation

Activity:
Plantation Vs. Small Town

Primary Source Material:
Invoice from Crosbies & Trafford

Primary Source Material:
Slaves Belonging to the Estate of Fielding Lewis

Activity:
The Main Idea (Microsoft Word Document)

Primary Source Material:
Ads from the Virginia Gazette

Sources

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