I've had my eye on the board game, Made for Trade, for years.  When I was at the Historic Jamestowne gift shop the recently, I saw it and bought it.

 It's been sitting around, since I'm usually busy, busy, busy. But an eye exam yesterday and getting my pupils dilated slowed me down. The kids and I spent the afternoon playing the game and thoroughly enjoying it. 

       There are different levels of play for all ages. At every level, the player will learn about the different trades and the items they make.

We first played the easiest level. This is perfect for little ones, teaching them how to pay attention.  You place shillings equal to the number of players minus one in the center with the draw decks. When you get the required number of cards, you sneakily get one of the shillings, but keep "pretending" to play.  Whenever someone figures out that someone already won the game, they can get the other shilling. When all the shillings are gone, the game is over. One person will be left, who never got a shilling. 

     The next levels of play deal more with bartering. I'll describe the higher level of play, which we enjoyed.  We each chose an identity.  On one side is the picture of the person and on the back is their name...colonial names.

We began the game as an indentured servant and had to earn our freedom. While we were servants, we could not trade or collect money. We simply went around the board.

However we could play the Event cards.  Sometimes those allowed us to earn shillings. Once we earned our freedom, we were able to play any space. It took many turns around the board to figure out all the options, resulting in missed opportunities. It was like really being newly freed after seven years of servitude and trying to make the transition. (My goodness I feel like that in making the transition from living in Texas to Virginia, even after these few months.) 

    My son, aggressive player that he is, taxed my property when he passed the custom house. Wait a minute! Well, I taxed him on my next turn around. He did not like that!The problem was, those properties we worked diligently to accumulate so that we could win the game, were taken away and put in the Market, due to the tax. We realized that we were supposed to tax any player, by taking one of their property cards and putting it in the market, every single time we passed the Custom House. How would we ever win?  If you save enough shillings, and if you land on the Blue market square, you can buy your pieces back.  That is IF you land on the Blue Market square, which I never did. Frustrated, I was prepared to ammend the rule and say only if we LAND on the custom's house, would we tax another's property. However, as the kids read their Event cards, they kept reading about taxation laws. My daughter got one that told her she was a Bostonian in 1773 and in protest to the King's tax, she was to go to the Custom House, collect any shillings she earned along the way, but she was not to enact a tax on any of our properties. As more and more cards like these were read, I finally got it.  These people in Colonial times were heavily taxed by the King.  It was frustrating. The Stamp Act, the Townshend Act, the Tea Act...and all without representation. I don't remember having an opportunity to be a representative voice about all these taxes.  Where was Patrick  Henry? Actually, my son was so heavily taxed, he was fuming! He was close to spouting off as Patrick Henry did  (and he does a great first person interpretation of Patrick Henry so watch out!)

     By this time, I had finally figured out the strategy to win the game.  Actually all of us had our own ideas, so it was a chance to see whose theory would pay off in the end.

    Amazingly whenever I drew an event card, it never had to do with taxes. I got the cards that represented the French who helped America in one way or another.  I got to keep those cards. Whenever I got into a trouble spot, I could save myself by using those cards!  And yes, I won the game! I'd better enjoy the moment. I know my son's wheels are spinning and he's got a new strategy up his sleeve.