Lesson Plans
Unit Introduction

Image 23:

Nathaniel Hurd
American, 1729/30-1777
Table of Conversions
Engraving

American Antiquarian Society

Information:

Colonial Boston boasted an international harbor. The large amount of trade that went on helped fuel the colonial economy. Because of this high level of international trade, the currencies of many different countries were constantly flowing in and out of the city of Boston. The coins from all of the different countries contained different amounts of silver. The weight and value of a coin was determined by the amount of silver in it. It was difficult for colonial Bostonians to keep up with the many different currencies and their fluctuating values. In an effort to help the people of Boston, Nathaniel Hurd engraved a Table of Conversions that provided Bostonians with the knowledge they needed to conduct fair business. This table of conversions contains the different weights and values for the most common coins in use in colonial Boston.

Vocabulary:

currency - the money in circulation in any country.

Suggested Website:

www.eh.net/ehresources/howmuch/doelarq.php
"Economic History Resources—How Much is That?"

Suggested Lesson:

Colonial American Trade, Currency, and Economy: The instability of a colonial economy

Colonial American Trade, Currency, and Economy: What can money tell us?