Final answer:
Under Dutch colonial rule, unmarried women could inherit property and manage businesses, while free black people were able to work. However, married women's rights were limited by coverture, and the status of free black individuals was constrained within the societal hierarchies.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement "Under Dutch rule women were able to inherit property and conduct business for themselves and free black people were able to hold jobs" reflects certain aspects of the social structure during the period of Dutch colonial rule. Women, particularly unmarried women, did have the ability to own property and widows could continue to run their husbands' businesses. However, the dynamic was different for married women due to the principle of coverture, which essentially transferred a woman's legal rights and identity to her husband upon marriage, greatly restricting her autonomy. Similarly, while free black individuals might have been able to find work, this did not equate to equal rights or treatment.
In the context of Dutch colonialism, certain freedoms and economic opportunities were more pronounced than in other places, yet the society was still marked by limitations and inequality. For example, free black people had the opportunity to work, but this was within a larger system of colonial and racial hierarchies that prioritized European settlers.