Free Sample Essays > World History

Page: 1 2

Which factor, religious freedom or ecomnomic betterment, best describes the motivation behind the founding of the English Colonies.

Essay Question: Which factor, religious freedom or economic betterment, best describes the motivation behind the founding of the English Colonies.

Both Religious freedom and Economic betterment best describes the motivation behind the founding of the English Colonies. Religious freedom had an enourmous part with the founding of the Colonies because certain Colonies were founded by people ( Puritans ) who were tyring to find Religous freedom and because colonies were based upon thought's and idea's they had about religion. Economic betterment also played a major role in the founding of the colonies because Spanish and English people were trying to find gold and new land to make there nations more powerful and wealthy.

Religious freedom played an important part which led to the formation of the English Colonies. It plays an important part because people wanted the right to have religious freedom and to be able to live in a different society where they could voice their oppinion's and thought's relating to religion. An example of people who desired religious freedom would be the Pilgrims. The Pilgrims were English people who wanted to escape Religious controversie by emigrating to America. Some of these Pilgrim's became members of a Puritan sect., which were known as Seperatist. Seperatist believed that the Church of England violated biblical precepts for the true Christians. This led to their decision to break away from the Church and begin their own congregation. Soon a group of Seperatist decided to leave England and by 1620 the Seperatist group ariived in North America and there they found the Colony of Plymouth. One group of Puritans sailed to North America and began a settlemnet called the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Traveling to North America the Puritans had no worries about practicing the religion and voicing their oppinions. The founding of the Colony of Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay Colony are two great examples of how Puritans, Seperatist & Pilgrims trying to find Religious freedom also found these two Colonies.

Economic bettermant is also an important part for which the Colonies were founded. London Investor's called the Virginia Company led a voyage to the Coast of Virgina. There they sailed inland until they found a small Peninsula. They claimed it their's and named it Jamestown. They traveled there in search of gold and riches and neglected crop growing. Soon they decided to abandone Jamestown but were convinced to stay by and English ship that was sailing in the James River. John Rolfe than found the weed that Natives were growing, tobacco.

Soon enough tobacco was in high demand. People then began to traveled to Virgina to trade. In exchange for their passage to the New World people had to serve as indentured servants( worked seven years for their freedom and passage to the New World). These indentured servants came to the New World searching for freedom, land and the pursuit of happiness. In [next page]