Causes for Colonialism
Causes for Colonialism There were many reasons for the settlers why the settlers to choose to leave their home and go to a strange new land to form colonies. Among them are religious freedom, opportunity to prosper financially, the chance to start a new nation with principles they believe in, and even as simple as the thrill of a challenge of a new land. Religious freedom and the opportunity to prosper financially seem to be the biggest reason the settlers found and those are the two causes that will be looked at here.
Economic reasons seem to be one of the most prominent reasons the settlers came to the New World. A countries worth was determined by how much gold and silver they had. The Spanish settlers were there only to mine the gold and silver from the land (Brinkley, 2014). The Virginia Company had planned to come to the New World and search for gold and silver along with searching for a new river route that would lead to the Pacific Ocean that could be used to develop a trade with the Orient (Jamestown Colony, 2013) (Jamestown Settlement and the "Starving Time", 2013). The people that settled in the south saw it as a chance to get rich in the New World and felt that mining and growing and selling tobacco would be their chance (Rosmanitz). The settlers that chose to settle in the south did so more for economic reasons but the northern settlers did so more for religious reasons. In Europe, the kings and queens were forcing the people to follow there same religion as they had (Rosmanitz). When Henry VIII broke away from the Catholic Church, the Church of England was formed with the approval of the English Parliament. There were many people in England who did not want to accept the new Church and their followers who were called Anglicans. Pilgrims, were called Separatists because of their desire to separate from the church, were persecuted as were the Puritans (called
Economic reasons seem to be one of the most prominent reasons the settlers came to the New World. A countries worth was determined by how much gold and silver they had. The Spanish settlers were there only to mine the gold and silver from the land (Brinkley, 2014). The Virginia Company had planned to come to the New World and search for gold and silver along with searching for a new river route that would lead to the Pacific Ocean that could be used to develop a trade with the Orient (Jamestown Colony, 2013) (Jamestown Settlement and the "Starving Time", 2013). The people that settled in the south saw it as a chance to get rich in the New World and felt that mining and growing and selling tobacco would be their chance (Rosmanitz). The settlers that chose to settle in the south did so more for economic reasons but the northern settlers did so more for religious reasons. In Europe, the kings and queens were forcing the people to follow there same religion as they had (Rosmanitz). When Henry VIII broke away from the Catholic Church, the Church of England was formed with the approval of the English Parliament. There were many people in England who did not want to accept the new Church and their followers who were called Anglicans. Pilgrims, were called Separatists because of their desire to separate from the church, were persecuted as were the Puritans (called
References: Brinkley, A. (2014). The Unfinished Nation: A Concise History of the American People Volume 1: To 1877. New York: McGraw-Hill. Jamestown Colony. (2013). Retrieved October 30, 2013, from History: http://www.history.com/topics/jamestown Jamestown Settlement and the "Starving Time". (2013). Retrieved October 30, 2013, from U.S. History: http://www.ushistory.org/us/2c.asp Rosmanitz, K. (n.d.). The Thirteen American Colonies. Retrieved October 30, 2013, from English Online: http://www.english-online.at/history/colonial-america/life-in-the-thirteen-american-colonies.htm The Middle Colonies. (2013). Retrieved October 31, 2013, from U.S. History: http://www.ushistory.org/us/4.asp The New England Colonies. (2013). Retrieved October 30, 2013, from U.S History: http://www.ushistory.org/us/3.asp