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 A wealthy James City County, Virginia, planter with four daughters and three sons puts an advertisement in the “Virginia Gazette” for a tutor to give his children lessons. He offers a three-year contract promising room and board and use of the gentleman’s library. When the contract expires, the boys will be old enough to attend the Grammar School at the College of William and Mary in nearby Williamsburg, and the girls will have enough education for futures as housewives and mothers. The tutor may also teach, for a fee, other children of the neighborhood, a potentially lucrative arrangement.
In Philadelphia a 20-year-old man reads the “Virginia Gazette” ad and writes to inquire about the position, detailing his education at the College of New Jersey and expressing his interest in traveling to Virginia to educate gentry youth. The tutor and the planter come to terms. The boys, 10, 12 and 14 years old, read English and Latin, study Latin grammar, and work on handwriting and ciphering. The girls are older and read English and work on penmanship and spelling. Most of their time is spent practicing music and dance, taught by instructors who visit the plantation.
The little capital of Virginia is nothing like the large bustling city of Philadelphia. The tutor is Presbyterian. Few of his faith reside near Williamsburg. Living in this gentry household is difficult for him. Will the time pass quickly when he becomes more accustomed to the family? Will the master be satisfied with his teaching, discipline, and the children’s progress? Are there other paying pupils? Will the young Pennsylvanian accumulate money during his Virginia stint? Could he spend his time more profitably elsewhere in different work? Will the three years spent in Virginia teach the him lessons that will be handy in later life?
 Your students will enjoy an illustrated version of this Character Scenario in the KIDS ZONE.
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Historic Triangle