Question

Why did thousands of Puritans settle in the Massachusetts Bay Colony?

a. to escape the English civil war and show support for the king
b. to build large tobacco plantations on the fertile soil of New England
c. to escape poor economic conditions in England and avoid persecution
d. to oppose the Catholic gentry settling in Maryland

Answer 1

C. to escape poor economic conditions in England and avoid persecution

Step-by-step explanation:

The Migration of Puritans to New England was marked in its effects in the two decades from 1620 to 1640, after which it sharply declined for a time. The term "Great Migration" generally refers to the migration in this period of English colonists, mainly Puritans, to Massachusetts and the West Indies, especially Barbados, 1630-1640. They arrived in family groups (rather than as isolated individuals) and were motivated mainly by a search for freedom to practice their Puritan religion.

Answer 2

c. to escape poor economic conditions in England and avoid persecution

Puritans were looking to establish a place they could practice religion without persecution from the English government.

As England converted to a Protestant nation, those not agreeing with the Church of England were targeted. Puritans believed the church needed to be purified. In creating a colony the group was allowed to create a society more suitable to their beliefs.