what features are present in New Amsterdam that identify it as a Dutch colony and not as an English colony? Solution I certainly agree with BZ C.\'s advice on this one. Russell Shorto\'s book is one of many excellent books on the subject. The answer to this question tends to go into the differences between the styles of management and the attitudes towards thier colonies of the British and the Dutch. These things are a bit more complicated, than can really adequately be expressed here. Hence my agreement with BZ C. The one hint I would give is to look at how accepting the Dutch are of others not like them (the Indians, folks from other Nationalities) and the freedoms(at least for the time) that were given to the Dutch citizens living there as opposed to the British on the same issues. The Dutch to this day still retain many of the same cultural qualities seen in colonial times (I had the good fortune of living in the Netherlands for 5 1/2 months and it was quite noticeable)..