Final answer:
The Pilgrims left Europe for North America primarily in search of religious freedom, aiming to establish a community where they could practice their faith without persecution and governed by the Mayflower Compact they created upon arrival at Plymouth.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Pilgrims left Europe for North America primarily to find religious freedom. They were a group of English Separatists who felt that the Church of England was too similar to the Catholic Church and did not agree with its practices. Hence, they sought a new land where they could practice their faith without persecution. In 1620, after securing permission and a charter from the Virginia Company, the Pilgrims sailed on the Mayflower with the hope of establishing a society based on their religious beliefs. Once arrived, they formed the Mayflower Compact, an agreement for self-government at their settlement in Plymouth. The primary motivation for the Pilgrims was not economic gain but rather the creation of a community where they could worship freely and live according to their religious convictions.