Goal:
A simulation of the events and factions in the colony of South Carolina leading up to the American Revolution. The players will have a better understanding of the dynamics between the different interests and the goals and constraints of the major groups.
Situation:
It is 1763 and the treaty of Paris ending the French and Indian (Seven Years) war has just been signed. The British government urgently needs to recover the money spent defending the North American colonies.
You represent one of the major interested parties in the colony of South Carolina, and your arguments will steer the fate of the colony. As you will see the motivations and goals in this quintessential southern colony differs from the more well-known events around Boston.
Preparation:
To prepare for this game:
- Read all of the player briefings, not just your own. It will help you understand each player’s goals, strengths, and weaknesses.
- You do NOT need to have an in-depth understanding of the complex event leading up to the revolution. Playing this game will give you a better understanding of the dynamics in South Carolina, and you may privately ask the Umpire historical questions during the game. How they are answered is at the umpire’s discretion.
How to play a Matrix Game
There are many ways to play an Engle’s Matrix Game and many types of games. For this simulation, we will use the following rules.
The game will be played in turns, each representing one to two years:
1763 - 1764
|
1765- 1766
|
1767 - 1768
|
1769 - 1770
|
1771
|
1772
|
1773
|
1774
|
1775
|
Each turn, the players will construct an argument as to what happens that turn and email them to the umpire by the deadline for that turn. It will consist of:
- A statement of WHAT happens
- 2 -4 reasons WHY the argument should succeed
The argument will then be rated by the umpire as VERY STRONG, STRONG, MODERATE, WEAK, or VERY WEAK.
A d6 is rolled and the argument succeeds on the following rolls:
Very Strong
|
2-6
|
Strong
|
3-6
|
Moderate
|
4-6
|
Weak
|
5-6
|
Very Weak
|
6
|
If the roll succeeds, then the argument happens and it becomes part of reality.
Here are some tips:
- An argument can be about anything and does not even have to be directly about your side. For example, you could argue that the Cherokee attack or that your opponent suffers dissension in the ranks.
- An argument does not even have to be directly in the colony of South Carolina, for example, you could argue “Boston patriots riot” or “France attempts to invade Ireland.”
- Building arguments on previously successful arguments makes them stronger. For example, if one turn you argue “my side builds a spy network” and the next turn you argue, “My side steals the enemy’s plans” you have a stronger argument than if you just argue you steal plans out of the gate.
If your argument conflicts with another player’s argument, such as you both attach the same town, etc., then the umpire will assign a strength to each argument. Then the umpire will conduct roll-offs between them until one of the arguments fails.
End of Turn
After all arguments have been submitted for the turn, the umpire will adjudicate the arguments and provide an update to all of the players as to what succeeded and what did not. A map of the colony may also be provided that shows anything of note that happened that turn.
The umpire may also provide some events that occur outside of SC that were not argued for by the players, to represent events in Europe or the other colonies, at the umpire’s discretion.
Player Briefings (included in the link above)
Parliament
Goals:
1. Collect more taxes from the colonies to pay off debt from the Seven Year’s War
2. Spend as little as possible on the colonies
3. Maintain the authority of the King
4. Do not let Britain become vulnerable to invasion or lose lucrative Caribbean colonies.
Weaknesses:
1. Treasury is empty from the Seven Year’s war, cannot afford to spend much on the colonies
2. 10-15 week round trip between colonies and London
Low Country Planters (The Rice Kings)
Goals:
1. Do not let ANYONE interfere with our plantations or our way of life
2. Keep your political dominance of South Carolina
3. Pay no taxes to Britain
4. Maintain your wealth, keep the rice and indigo trade going
5. Prevent a slave uprising
Strengths:
1. LOTS OF MONEY!!!
2. The political dominance of the colonial assembly
3. Colonial Assembly pays the salary of Governor and customs officials
4. All courts are located in Charleston and are dominated by the planter class
Weaknesses:
1. Need to import manufactured goods from Britain (Such as tea, sugar, paper, glass, etc.) and by law can only legally buy these good from Britain
2. Outnumbered by slaves 5 to 1
3. Hated by the backcountry farmers
Royal Governor
Goals:
1. Maintain firm control of the colony
2. Collect all taxes and eliminate smuggling
3. Enforce the Proclamation line of 1763 and maintain peace with the Cherokee
Strengths:
1. Authority of the King
2. A handful of customs officers to collect taxes and fight smuggling
1. No one wants to pay taxes
2. Your Salary and salaries of judges and customs officials are paid by Colonial Assembly
3. Not enough customs officials or ships to prevent smuggling
4. Additional resources to enforce laws require parliament approval
5. Back Country farmers have illegally started pushing west (“Overmountain Men”)
Backcountry Farmers
Goals:
1. Take political power from the low country elites
2. Get a working court system in the backcountry
3. Eliminate the Cherokee threat
4. Expand westward beyond the 1763 proclamation line
Strengths:
1. Strong militia, everyone is armed
2. Self-reliant
3. Low Country planters need you to protect them from Cherokee
Weaknesses:
1. Little representation in the colonial assembly
2. Have to travel all the way to Charles Town for courts
3. Looked down on by the low country elites
4. Vulnerable to Cherokee attack
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