Final answer:
John White and Thomas Harriot advocated for an English colony in Virginia grounded on commercial success and the propagation of Protestantism. They saw Virginia as a place rich in resources and an opportunity for religious expansion, which was reflected in the aims of the Virginia Company and the governance of the Jamestown colony.
Step-by-step explanation:
John White and Thomas Harriot believed that an English colony in Virginia should be based on the principles of commercial success and the spread of Protestant Christianity. These promoters of colonization, such as Thomas Hariot, saw Virginia not only as a place to find gold and other riches but also as a new frontier for spreading the Protestant faith among the indigenous populations described as 'living in darkness and miserable ignorance of the true knowledge and worship of God.'
Furthermore, the Virginia Company, which played a central role in establishing the Jamestown colony, was driven by the commercial potential of the New World. The stockholders and colonists of Jamestown, although primarily seeking economic gain through ventures such as growing tobacco, were also motivated by their Anglican identity and adherence to the Church of England to spread Protestantism, as noted in the mandates of the First Virginia Charter and the actions of the colonists governed by the General Assembly at Jamestown.