Questions about Philadelphia and the Middle Colonies

Which colonies made up the Middle Colonies?

•  New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.

  
  

•  New York, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.

  
  

Why did cities like New York become centers of commerce for the emerging colonies?

• They were centrally located between other colonies and had good ports. The land around these cities produced a great deal of which other colonies imported.

• They were centrally located between two mountains .

Why did the English seize New Netherland from the Dutch?

• England and the Netherlands were at war, and it was a way of striking at the Dutch while protecting the English colonies.

  
  

• England and the Netherlands were at war, and it was a way of striking at the English while protecting the Dutch colonies.

  
  

How were the lives of women in New Netherland different from the lives of most other women of the day?

• they had no rights

• they had more rights

What was “half-freedom”? Why do you think it was only possible for some enslaved people?

• Some younger enslaved Africans could petition for “half -Freedom,” which allowed them free status for a full year, but they had to pay fees and labor for part of the year. 

  
  

• Some older enslaved Africans could petition for “half -Freedom,” which allowed them free status for part of the year, but they had to pay fees and labor for part of the year. 

  
  

What does the outcome of the Peter Zenger trial reveal about the way that colonists viewed the right of self expression?

• It revealed that many colonists believed that it was important to be free to criticize the government.

  
  

• It revealed that many colonists believed that it was not ok to criticize the government.

  
  

Why did the King of England grant William Penn land in North America?

• the king owed his father money

  
  

• the king was friends with his father

  
  

What was the Society of Friends? What did this group believe?

• It was a group who believed that everyone should belong to the Church of England, and they fought for justice.

  
  

• It was a religious group, called Quakers. They believed that everyone could have a relationship with God and that all people should be treated fairly. They believed that men and women were equal in God’s eyes, and they opposed war.

  
  

How did Penn’s treatment of the Lenape differ from his son’s treatment of them?

• Penn believed the Lenape should be treated justly, and paid them for their land. After he died, his sons treated the Lenape unjustly and used a false document to claim more land from the Lenape. 

  
  

• Penn's son believed the Lenape should be treated justly, and paid them for their land. Penn however treated the Lenape unjustly and used a false document to claim more land from the Lenape. 

  
  

How did the Delaware colony come into existence?

• Swedish, French, and Italian colonists living in the area of the Mississippi River did not want to become a part of Pennsylvania when William Penn bought the land. Penn gave them the right to form their own religion, so they made Delaware.

  
  

• Swedish, Finnish, and Dutch colonists living in the area of the Delaware River did not want to become a part of Pennsylvania when William Penn bought the land. Penn gave them the right to form their own lawmaking body, so they made Delaware.