Urban Game

Intro The year is 1750 – the dawn of the Industrial Revolution. You are about to create a village in the American countryside. The US is a good country for the Industrialization to take hold, because of the surplus population, economic capital, and natural resources. Throughout the course of this activity, you will see your village grow from a small pastoral community to a bustling industrial center. Pay close attention to the instructions and see if you can successfully design your village so that everything fits on your paper. Neatness and accuracy count!

1. 1.) Every village needs a source of fresh water. Draw a river that runs from one end of your paper to the other. You may have the river branch off into two streams or more if you’d like, and the rivers can go in any direction.

2. 2.) In the top left corner of your paper, draw a small rectangular box. Inside the box, write the name of the village you are creating. Many English villages end with “shire” or “ville.” Also be sure to write your name on the back of your paper.

3. 3.) Draw three bridges that cross the river. The bridges can be located anywhere you like, but they must all be the same size, and should be spread out.

4. 4.) Most villages have an economic reason for their development. You have decided to build your village around a coal mine. Draw the mine anywhere on your map.

5. 5.) Draw a few roads that connect the bridges to each other at some point. At least one road must connect to the mine. In addition, make sure that at least two roads lead off the map in two different directions.

6. Now that people have access to your village, some of them would like to move there and settle down. Draw ten houses, making sure that each of them is adjacent to a road.

7. 7.) Now that your village is populated, you need a place for the children to receive an education. Draw one school, and make sure it’s near a lot of houses, along a road.

8. 8.) Most villages in 18 th century US had at least one church. Draw a church, making sure that it is located along a road.

9. 9.) Not everyone in the village grows their own food. People need to get their food somewhere, and that’s where farms come in. Draw three farms anywhere you like.

) The power of running water allows a water mill to grind wheat into flour for bread and baking. Build a water mill and place it adjacent to the river.

) Now that people have some spending money, they need a place to go and relax. Since we are in 19 th century US, what better place than a restaurant? Draw a restaurant anywhere along a road, but remember not to place it too close to the church!

) During the Industrial Revolution, many creative inventors developed technology that enabled the production of machines. James Watt, for example, invented the steam engine, which could be used to power machinery, and later on, locomotives. Draw a railroad yard on your map, leaving plenty of room around it for railroad expansion.

) Now that you have the ability to build machines that produce goods 100 times faster than individual workers, you need a factory. Richard Arkwright is credited with building the first factory and hiring employees at low wages to turn out finished products. Build a factory, and make sure it is located along your river.

) With work available in your factory, more people will move to your village seeking jobs. Build ten more houses. Make sure they are along roads.

) People need to spend their hard earned money, and with more people the need for stores increases. Build two stores and restaurant.

) Business from the coal mine is booming. You need to send coal from the mine to the railroad yard so you can export it to neighboring communities. Build a railroad track connecting the mine to the railroad yard. Build an additional track leaving the yard and heading out of town, in any direction you like. The track may cross the river or roads.

) Because the factory is making a big profit, more wealthy businessmen want to capitalize. Build five more factories, making sure that they are all located along a river.

) People are now moving to your town in huge numbers, looking for work. Since they are desperate, they will work cheap and live in cheap housing. Build twenty more houses, and three tenements.

) The size of your congregation is growing. Build an additional church.

) Build another school for all the new children moving into the town.

) The workers at the new factory are not happy about their working conditions. They need a place to relax after work and complain about their jobs. Build three restaurants.

) With business booming, more neighboring communities want to trade with you. Build an additional railroad line that connects your railroad yard to every single factory. Then make sure that the railroads leaving your village at least once in each direction. (north, south, east, and west.)

) More and more people continue to move into your city. Add ten tenements.

) Build an additional school, a church, four stores, and four restaurant.

) Crime has become a problem since your town has grown in population, and the people are not happy. Build a courthouse near the center of town where justice can be served.

) The factory owners have become greedy and are eager to make more profits. Build ten more factories, making sure that they are located along water. If you don’t have enough room by water, you can create a man-made canal that connects to the river.

) Build ten more tenements to house the laborers that continue to flow into your town.

28. Build one more school, another church, four stores, and four more restaurants.

) Because your town is having a problem with overpopulation, there is a greater likelihood of diseases and illnesses spreading throughout the community. Build a hospital where the people can be treated.

) Not everyone is going to survive the diseases and harsh working conditions from the mine and factories. Build a graveyard next to one of your churches.

) The new factories need to transport their finished goods to other cities. Build railroad tracks connecting the factories to other tracks so they can send goods out of town.

) The success of your town is attracting more people. Build twenty houses and five tenements.

) Finally, add four more stores and four more restaurants.

Yay! Congratulations! You have successfully seen your small village grow into a city through industrialization.