The Golden Tulip describes the life and times of a family of artists in the Netherlands in the seventeenth century. The differences in religion, the economy, and the way the government ruled the country led to differences in the way Dutch artists viewed their work as compared to artists in the rest of Europe. These differences led to the emergence of a strong, wealthy middle class in the Netherlands much earlier than in the rest of the continent.

1. Compare the Dutch middle-class merchants in the seventeenth century to American middle-class merchants today.

2. Discuss the pros and cons of the apprentice system. Do you think the apprentice system would have advantages over modern-day high schools and colleges?

3. Is there any sort of apprentice system in place in America today? If so, in what fields do you find evidence of it?

4. Do research to discover what was expected...