The early English colonies organized themselves in a few different ways. Some colonies were under the control of private companies, and others were ruled by royal governors appointed by the crown. These two models merged into a system that gave colonists more freedom than they would have had under direct rule from England.
The earliest English colonies were established for trading purposes, but as time went on, colonists began to settle permanently in their new homelands. These settlers wanted more political autonomy from England, especially when it came to taxation and other policies that affected them directly.
The colonists' goals were similar to those of settlers everywhere: they wanted land, independence, and safety from both internal threats and attacks from other countries (especially Spain). The other biggest goal of colonizing was spreading religious awareness.