Question

Why did the Pilgrims leave Europe to establish a new colony?

a) To create a place where they could worship freely.
b) To create a place where all people had equal rights.
c) To create a place where they could get rich.
d) To create a place where they could do whatever kind of work they wanted to.
e) None of the above.

Answer 1

The Pilgrims left Europe for religious freedom, establishing the Plymouth Colony to practice their beliefs away from the Church of England's control and preserve their English identity after a stay in the Dutch Republic.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Pilgrims left Europe to establish a new colony primarily for religious reasons. Contrary to Jamestown's founding for economic purposes, the Pilgrims, including Separatists and Puritans, sought freedom from the Church of England's influence, which they felt did not sufficiently break from Catholic practices. The Pilgrims initially moved to the Dutch Republic in search of religious freedom but later decided to journey to America amid fears of losing their English cultural identity and potential military conflicts in Europe. In 1620, under the leadership of William Bradford, they sailed to North America and eventually established the Plymouth Colony in present-day Massachusetts, signing the Mayflower Compact, which outlined a vision of working together in a godly community.