Which of the following distinguished the Middle Colonies from New England and the Southern Colonies?
A. peace treaties with Native Americans
B. ethnic and religious diversity
C. representative government
D. prohibition of slavery
Dutch in New York, Germans in Pennsylvania, Swedish in Delaware, Catholics in Maryland, which would you pick.
The correct answer is B. ethnic and religious diversity. To identify this answer, we should examine the characteristics that distinguish the Middle Colonies from New England and the Southern Colonies.
To begin, let's look at New England. The New England colonies, such as Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire, were primarily settled by Puritans seeking religious freedom. They were homogeneous in terms of religion and predominantly made up of English settlers who practiced the Protestant faith. Therefore, religious diversity was not a distinguishing factor for New England.
Now, let's consider the Southern Colonies, which included Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. The Southern Colonies had an economy based primarily on cash crop agriculture, with a reliance on tobacco, rice, and indigo cultivation. Additionally, the labor force in the Southern Colonies was predominantly made up of enslaved Africans. Thus, the institution of slavery was widespread in the Southern Colonies, which differentiates it from the Middle Colonies.
Now, let's focus on the Middle Colonies, which include New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. One key characteristic that distinguished the Middle Colonies from both New England and the Southern Colonies was their ethnic and religious diversity. Unlike the other regions, the Middle Colonies attracted a larger variety of settlers from different European countries, such as the Dutch, English, Germans, and Scots-Irish. Additionally, the Middle Colonies were known for being more tolerant of different religious beliefs, with groups such as Quakers, Catholics, Lutherans, and Jews finding more acceptance in these colonies compared to New England and the Southern Colonies.
To sum up, the Middle Colonies were distinguished from New England and the Southern Colonies by their ethnic and religious diversity. Therefore, the correct answer is B. ethnic and religious diversity.