The Age of Enlightenment and the Age of Exploration helped to inspire European sailors to travel and explore the world, including the discovery of the Americas. This period sparked religious, political, philosophical and economic changes across Europe and its colonies, with the rise of trade and tradable goods, and exploration of ideas, the colonists began to separate more from their Empires, with political and religious (or non-religious) differences, the English colonists populated North America with a sense of independence in thought, rule of government, religious practices and economy.