Question

which of the following most directly contributed to the decision in philadelphia referenced in the excerpt to build a specific meeting house for the new preachers?
a leaders in cities such as philadelphia wanted to do all they could to limit the spread of new protestant denominations in the colony.

b local authorities worried about radical ideas and believed that a central meeting house would make it easier to censor the sermons of the new preachers.

c religious pluralism was more accepted in the middle colonies and particularly in the colony of pennsylvania than elsewhere.

d commerce was more important than religion to most colonists, so building a small meeting house would keep the new preachers isolated.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each option:

• Option A: Leaders limiting new Protestant denominations doesn't align with building a meeting house for new preachers.
• Option B: Censoring sermons via a central meeting house is not a likely reason for building a meeting house to support new preachers.
• Option C: Middle colonies, especially Pennsylvania (where Philadelphia is), had greater religious pluralism. This acceptance would lead to building a meeting house for new preachers as different religious groups were tolerated.
• Option D: Commerce being more important and isolating preachers contradicts building a meeting house for them.

Answer:

C. Religious pluralism was more accepted in the middle colonies and particularly in the colony of Pennsylvania than elsewhere.