Role Play and Taxes

After being assigned various roles as colonists (almanac writer, farmer, grocery owner, etc.) and tax collectors (for the Stamp, Quartering, Sugar, etc. Acts) various scenarios were read aloud that determined where funds each player began with would go. 

Scenarios included things like: 

Over time each player, including the tax collectors, watched their funds slowly dwindle and ultimately end up in the hands of the King.  

“Rather than simply read about these Tax Acts and how they fueled the Revolution, this activity helps students put themselves in the shoes of the colonists and really imagine what the impact of living under British rule might have been like in their lives, “ Jacqueline explains. “When you’ve actually watched these taxes drain your imaginary bank account you bring a different understanding to questions like, in this governmental configuration, who is left with the most money? What social group was least affected by taxation? How would these rules imposed on the colonists affect their relationship with Britain?”

This role play experience set students up well for coming lessons on the Revolutionary War.