CHAPTER 4 • SECTION 3
Although both free and enslaved African Americans enjoyed some rights
in the Middle Colonies, their lives were harsh. As in the South, fears of a
slave revolt grew as the slave population increased. Those fears were realized in 1712 when a group of African-born slaves rebelled. After setting fire
to several buildings, the rebels suffered defeat, torture, and death. However,
their cruel punishments did not prevent other slave rebellions.
More About . . .
Quakers Condemn Slavery Some white colonists began speaking out
against slavery. The Quakers were the first group to condemn it. To many
Quakers, slavery was immoral and against Christian principles. In 1688
Quakers in Germantown, Pennsylvania, issued a statement against the
practice. In 1712 the Pennsylvania government attempted to discourage the
importation of slaves. Throughout the 1700s, Quakers published antislavery
petitions and statements. The antislavery efforts of the Quakers were supported by other religious groups in the Delaware Valley, such as the German
Pietists. These antislavery ideals influenced immigrants in the Middle Colonies—and eventually the entire nation.
Quakers
Among Quaker beliefs were ideas about
spiritual equality. This belief in equality
affected the Quakers’ reaction to slavery.
The 1668 protest against slavery asked if
any readers of the petition would be treated
in such a way and noted: “We contradict
and are against this traffic of men-body.”
Slaveholding became unacceptable within
the religion, and by 1790, no Quakers
owned slaves. Quakers were among the first
to protest slavery. They continued to be an
anti-slavery voice, and many Quakers aided
runaway slaves.
Answer: Enslaved
Africans had built roads,
houses, and public
buildings.
SUMMARIZE Explain how African Americans helped build the cities.
Diversity and Tolerance
KEY QUESTION How did ethnic diversity encourage tolerance?
Many different immigrant groups arrived in the port cities of the Middle
Colonies. Soon the region’s population became remarkably diverse.
A Diverse Population The Germans formed one of the largest immigrant
Teach
Diversity and Tolerance
Think, Pair, Share
• What were some major contributions of
German immigrants to American culture?
(long rifle, Conestoga wagon, the work of
many artisans)
• How did the Middle Colonies differ from New
England in the matter of religious tolerance?
(People who practiced many different religions
settled and found tolerance in the Middle
Colonies, while Puritanism was still the main
religion in New England.)
Reenactors in
Pennsylvania portray
life on a colonial
German farm.
groups in the region. Many Germans arrived between 1710 and 1740. Most
came as indentured servants fleeing religious intolerance. They were particularly attracted to Pennsylvania because the colony did not tax its people
denomination, or distinct religious group.
in order to support a particular denomination
Like the Puritans before them, German immigrants arrived in family groups
and tended to settle together in distinct communities. Many moved to the
western frontier of Pennsylvania, where land was cheaper.
Famous for their farming skills, these immigrants soon influenced the
culture of the Middle Colonies. Germans also brought a strong tradition of
skilled crafts to the Middle Colonies. For example, it was German gunsmiths
who first developed the long rifle. Other German artisans,or craftspeople,
became ironworkers and makers of glass, furniture, and kitchenware.
• Main Ideas and Details How did religious
tolerance shape the Middle Colonies? (Many
people were drawn to the Middle Colonies
because of the tolerance shown to diverse
religions there.)
114 Chapter 4
CONNECT
to the Essential Question
What factors allowed each colonial
region to grow and prosper?
Ask students what they have learned so far
that can help them answer this question.
Students might mention:
• Productive land and a longer growing
season allowed setters to grow cash
crops in the Middle Colonies.
• Religious tolerance drew many
immigrants to the Middle Colonies.
• Cities, such as New York and
Philadelphia, flourished along rivers that
allowed them to easily export goods.
114 • Chapter 4
DIFFERENTIATING INSTRUCTION: TIERED ACTIVITIES
OBJECTIVE Produce a brochure promoting immigration to the Middle Colonies.
Basic
On Level
Challenge
Have students create
a brochure to promote
immigration to the Middle
Colonies. Students should
include text and images to
express these selling points:
Have students create
a brochure to promote
immigration to the Middle
Colonies. Students should
begin by working in groups
to brainstorm a list of selling
points. Then students should
work individually to create
text and images for at least
four points they identified.
Have students create
a brochure to promote
immigration to the Middle
Colonies. Have individuals
brainstorm a list of selling
points about the Middle
Colonies and drawbacks to
the other colonies. Then have
each student create text and
images for each selling point.
• fertile farmland, long
growing season
• diverse population
• religious tolerance
Germans built Conestoga wagons to carry their produce to town. These
wagons used wide wheels suitable for dirt roads, and the wagons’ curved beds
prevented spilling when climbing hills. Another important feature of this
type of wagon was the canvas covering that offered protection from rain.
Diversity Leads to Tolerance The Dutch in New York and the Quakers in
Pennsylvania were two groups that practiced religious tolerance. That is, they
honored the right to worship without interference. This laid the foundation
for the well-known religious tolerance of the Middle Colonies.
In contrast to New England, where the English Puritans dominated religious life, many different religious groups settled in the Middle Colonies.
Because of this diversity, the various religious groups had to learn to accept,
or at least tolerate, one another. The tolerance that developed in the Middle
Colonies would one day serve as a model for the nation.
Like the other colonial regions, the Middle Colonies have left a lasting
legacy. New York City is still a center of commerce and of ethnic and religious
diversity. Colonial Pennsylvania produced the model of a society based on
tolerance. Although slavery existed in the Middle Colonies, as it did in other
colonial regions, some were beginning to raise their voices against it. In fact,
throughout the colonial period the Middle Colonies were moving closer to
modern America’s civil ideals—of a society based on diversity, tolerance,
and religious freedom.
CAUSES AND EFFECTS Explain how ethnic diversity encouraged tolerance.
CHAPTER 4 • SECTION 3
Connect to the World
Tolerance
Attitudes in parts of the
Middle Colonies may
have been influenced by
the earliest Dutch settlers.
These settlers came from
the Dutch Republic, a
country famous for its
religious tolerance.
Connect to the World
Tolerance
Ask students what role religious tolerance
plays in the United States today. (Possible
answers: There is no required religion;
people are free to practice any religion;
people can challenge laws that encroach on
religious freedom.) Discuss what problems
religious intolerance might cause. (Possible
Answers: persecution, war, terrorism,
religious tension)
Answer: So many
different ethnic groups
arrived that colonists had
to learn how
to tolerate others.
4
Assess Have students complete the Section
Assessment.
Unit 2 Resource Book
• Section Quiz, p. 123
ONLINE QUIZ
3
Section Assessment
For test practice, go to
Interactive Review @ ClassZone.com
TERMS & NAMES
1. Explain the importance of
• Philadelphia
• Conestoga wagons
Detail
Main Idea
Religious tolerance,
ethnic diversity,
and fertile lands
helped the Middle
Colonies prosper.
Power Presentations
Test Generator
39% English
18% German
10% Dutch
9% Scots-Irish
7% African
5% Irish
4% Scottish
3% Welsh
3% Swedish
2% French
Detail
Detail
KEY IDEAS
3. What factors allowed large coastal cities to develop
in the Middle Colonies?
4. How did religious tolerance develop in the Middle
Colonies?
Interactive Review
@ ClassZone.com
CRITICAL THINKING
5. Analyze Graphs Study the graph below of ethnic
groups in the Middle Colonies. What two languages
might you have heard most frequently?
USING YOUR READING NOTES
2. Main Ideas and Details Complete the diagram
you started at the beginning of this section.
Assess & Reteach
Reteach Divide the class into teams of three.
Have each team member write the main idea and
at least three supporting details for one third of
the lesson. Have students combine their notes
and present them to the class. As different teams
present, students in the audience should add
any missing details to their own notes. Assist
students in making photocopies of completed
notes from each section for students to use as a
study guide.
Source: Population of the British Colonies
in America Before 1776, 1975
6. Math Use the graph shown above to calculate
the number of people speaking each language, given
that the Middle Colonies had a population of roughly
297,000. Then create a table to show the results.
Unit 2 Resource Book
• Reteaching Activity, p. 127
The Colonies Develop 115
SECTION 3 ASSESSMENT ANSWERS
Terms & Names
1. Philadelphia, p. 112; Conestoga wagons,
p. 115
Using Your Reading Notes
2. Details—A climate of tolerance developed
in the Middle Colonies; Dutch and German
farmers produced an abundance of food; many
ethnic groups were attracted by the Middle
Colonies’ reputation for tolerance.
Key Ideas
3. excellent harbors, fertile farmland, strategic
location for trade
4. The region’s earliest settlers—the Dutch in
New York and the Quakers in Pennsylvania—
believed in religious tolerance.
Critical Thinking
5. English and German
6. Tables should display population figures for
languages spoken in the Middle Colonies in
1750 (French, 5,940; Swedish, 8,910; Welsh,
8,910; Scottish, 11,880; Irish, 14,850; African,
20,790; Scots-Irish, 26,730; Dutch, 29,700;
German, 53,460; English, 115,830). Use the
rubric to score students’ tables.
Table Rubric
Organization of Data
Table Accuracy
4
data is organized clearly
and logically
no errors
3
data is organized
few/minor errors
2
data is somewhat
organized
several errors
1
data is disorganized
many errors
Teacher’s Edition • 115