In the history of colonial North America, which English colony was founded by the religious group known as the Quakers under the leadership of William Penn?

Introduction / Context:
Several English colonies in North America were founded with specific religious or economic purposes. The Quakers, also called the Religious Society of Friends, sought a place where they could practice their beliefs freely and promote religious tolerance. They played a key role in founding one particular colony that later became an important state in the United States. This question tests knowledge of that colony and the connection between religious groups and early settlement patterns.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The question refers to an English colony in North America.
• The religious group involved is the Quakers.
• Options include Massachusetts Bay, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Georgia.
• We assume familiarity with William Penn and his role in colonial history.

Concept / Approach:
The main concept is that William Penn, a Quaker, received a land grant from the English king and founded Pennsylvania as a colony based on Quaker principles. These principles included religious tolerance, fair treatment of Native Americans and relatively democratic governance. Massachusetts Bay was mainly Puritan, Virginia was established mainly for economic reasons by the Virginia Company and Georgia was initially a kind of buffer and social experiment. The approach is to identify which colony is most strongly associated with Quaker ideals and leadership.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that William Penn was a leading Quaker who founded the colony of Pennsylvania in the late seventeenth century.Step 2: Remember that Pennsylvania was advertised as a holy experiment where people of different Christian denominations could live together in relative peace.Step 3: Consider Massachusetts Bay. It was founded mainly by Puritans seeking to build a godly commonwealth, but they were often intolerant of other groups, including Quakers.Step 4: Consider Virginia. It was primarily an economic colony based on tobacco cultivation and did not have a Quaker founding leadership.Step 5: Consider Georgia. It was founded later with mixed purposes, including serving as a buffer against Spanish Florida and as a place for debtors, not specifically as a Quaker colony.Step 6: Based on this, Pennsylvania is clearly the colony founded by Quakers under William Penn.

Verification / Alternative check:
Historical summaries of colonial America routinely mention that Pennsylvania was founded in 1681 when King Charles the Second granted land to William Penn in payment of a debt owed to his father. Penn, a Quaker, used this grant to establish a colony based on Quaker values and invited settlers from various religious backgrounds. Accounts of Massachusetts emphasise Puritan leadership, Virginia emphasises plantation agriculture and Georgia emphasises its role as a frontier colony. None of these are primarily Quaker projects. This confirms that Pennsylvania is the correct answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Massachusetts Bay is wrong because it was a stronghold of Puritanism and Quakers were even persecuted there. Virginia is wrong because it originated as a commercial venture by the Virginia Company and later as a royal colony focused on tobacco farming. Georgia is wrong because it was not founded by Quakers and had different strategic and social aims. Only Pennsylvania was deliberately organised as a Quaker inspired colony promoting religious tolerance.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes confuse different colonies because many of them were created in the same broad time period. Another pitfall is to assume that any colony with strong religious themes must be the answer. However, the key is to match the specific religious group to the correct colony. When you see the word Quakers, you should immediately think of William Penn and Pennsylvania, just as Puritans are linked with Massachusetts and tobacco planters with Virginia.

Final Answer:
The colony founded by the Quakers under William Penn was Pennsylvania.