Preview

Motivations for immigration to American colonies in 1700s. Reasons for large population increase in 1700s.

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
666 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Motivations for immigration to American colonies in 1700s. Reasons for large population increase in 1700s.
The first successful colony in America was in Jamestown, Virginia, established 1607. When it was first founded, the colony contained only several hundred people. During the two hundred years that followed the population increased greatly, due in part to massive immigration from the Old World. By 1790 the colony housed a little under four million people. The high rate of immigration stemmed from a number of different motivators, including the peoples' hope for a better lifestyle than the one they experienced in the Old World, religious zeal, cheaper land and higher wages for manual laborers, and overpopulation in England.

Farmers and manual laborers were attracted to America by the prospect of higher wages and lower costs of living. "Most of these people were of the 'industrious' sort--craftsmen, yeomen farmers, and small merchants..." (Document A). Since the New World sought these types of laborers to further the economy and lacked a sufficient number of them, the demand increased, and with it the wages. The cost of living was also lower because the New World was virtually unpopulated and there was a low demand for residence as compared with England; subsequently, the costs were lower. According to William Penn, "their labor will be worth more than it is in England and their living will be cheaper." (Document 1).

Religious types, especially the Puritans, were drawn to America by the possibility of converting natives and spreading the message and lifestyle that they upheld to others through example. They hoped for "new souls" to be "won for God." (David Cressy article). By establishing what they considered to be an ideal and pious community, these colonizers wanted to build a new home for Christianity, extended from its confines of the Old World. One man who brought people like this to America through his words was John Winthrop, who said that colonization would carry the benefit of "service to the Lord." (Document 3). Winthrop was a prominent leader of the

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    John Winthrop's Beliefs

    • 313 Words
    • 2 Pages

    John Winthrop, an English Puritan leader, arrived in America in 1630 aboard the Arbella which was the largest of 11 ships. Soon to be future govenpr, Winthrop gave a sermon about the city on a hill, "We shall be as a city upon a hill, the eyes of all people are upon us." Winthrop was saying that all eyes would be on this soon to be new settlement in Massachusetts. His purpose was to state that if the new settlement worked together and allowed God to convert them and show them the way. Winthrop was hoping that the new settlement would become a perfect society and everyone be in good faith. church was a major part in the new society and soon became mandatory to attend. The believed that through good faith you could be converted. Although they…

    • 313 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    In 1606, settlers of the Virginia Company of England embarked on an expedition to the New World, their goal being to found a settlement in the Virginia Colony. After a lengthy journey, the settlers came upon the mouth of the Chesapeake River, making landfall at Cape Henry. Their site would come to be known as Jamestown, widely regarded as the first permanent English settlement in America. However, the momentous task of establishing a society in a new and foreign land did not go without its fair share of tribulations. These settlers faced uncompromising challenges on the road to establishing stability and success, but their efforts produced both economic and social improvements that would eventually culminate to form one of England's most valued North American colonies.…

    • 629 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    While the Protestant Revolution raged in Europe, Catholics and other radicals were fleeing to the New World to find religious freedom and to escape prosecution. Because of this, the northern colonies became more family and religiously orientated as the families of the pilgrims settled there. From the Ship’s List of Emigrants Bound for New England we see that six families on board made up sixty nine of the ships passengers (B). Not only did families tend to move to New England, but whole congregations made the journey to find a place where they could set up “a city upon a hill”, and become an example to all who follow to live by as John Winthrop put it to his Puritan followers (A). Contrastingly, the Chesapeake colonies only had profit in their mind, which pushed them to become…

    • 1132 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “The first colony is established in Virginia .In 1607 a joint stock company of London merchants financed a settlement of English colonist at James town in what is now Virginia. The colony was named after King James 1.England first permanent settlement in North America. The Virginia colonist hoped to make their fortunes by discovering gold or silver or finding a water route to the Pacific. They are not prepared for the hardship they found nor did they expect to do farm work. More than half of the original 104 colonist died of the starvation and disease during the first winter. Only the discipline…

    • 423 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    John Winthrop was one of the first settlers of the Massachusetts Bay plantation in 1630. He delivered a sermon called A Model of Christian Charity, while aboard the ship taking these Puritans to the New World “which outlined the principles by which the new colony should be run” (Mulford 237). He uses Bible scripture to reinforce his idea of how their community should be created. As the Bible is the foundation for these Puritans, it is important to see how he uses scripture to create their perfect plantation, or what he describes as a “city upon a hill” (Mulford 244). Winthrop seems to see his plantation’s colonists as the new chosen people and uses the Bible as proof of this. His vision for the community is that their plantation would be looked…

    • 1328 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    In contrast, New England was founded to escape religious persecution. The “Separatists,” who were later known as the Puritans come only to practice their religion freely. The Puritans had no interest in profit, but only to work together to make their colony triumph. As John Winthrop stated in A Model of Christian Charity, “We must be knit together in this work as one man.” He explains that by working and understanding one another, they may prevail. By working together they’ll become “a city upon a hill” for everyone to look and admire them. They tried to set an example for others to follow. Clearly these two provides a pivotal point of view on the outlook of life.…

    • 423 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Jamestown vs. New England

    • 1295 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The Jamestown colony was located near present day James City County, Virginia. Jamestown was the first permanent settlement by the English in what is in current day known as the United States. The location of Jamestown was selected primarily for the fact that it provided a favorable defensive location against any other foreign powers that may have tried to gain control of the colony. John Smith, Robert Hunt along with others provided inspirational leadership for the colonists but even so starvation became a very apparent problem. The hostile relations with the local Native American people and a lack of any profitable exports only made matters worse. Despite this and a horrible winter bearing down on them, the colonists persevered. At the end of the first winter only 60 of the original 214 English colonists survived. (jamestown virginia) The settlers who came over on the initial three ships were not well-equipped for the life they found in Jamestown. In addition to the “Gentry” who was not accustomed to manual or skilled labor, they consisted mainly of English farmers who were not prepared physically or emotionally for the problems that would face them. (old and sold antique digest) Yet despite this they persevered and worked as a team to establish a colony. However, when two ships, crudely constructed in Bermuda, arrived at the settlement with no supplies, when the colonists desperately needed supplies the most, the settlers packed up and abandoned…

    • 1295 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    However, in the New England area the settlers primary motive was religion. Mostly Puritans came to the New World seeking a haven after being discriminated in the Old World and because of their shared religious beliefs this allowed them to develop communities harmoniously, while having the same end goal, being a model for the world. The first governor of Massachusetts Bay colony, John Winthrop, wrote A Model of Christian Charity and said, “knit together in this work as one man… community as members of the same body… a city upon a hill… the eyes of all people are upon us” (Doc.…

    • 807 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    During the early colonization of the East coast of North America, many groups of people of Europe came to the New World such as the Puritans and Quakers. Both the Puritans, led by John Winthrop, and the Quakers, led by William Penn, were escaping persecution from England but each they had their own views and goals in religion, politics, and ethnic relations. Being on the native land of the local Indians, both Penn and Winthrop had to face issues and negotiations with the Indians. Penn and Winthrop had their own separate approaches to politics but they both sought a more just system than the one in England. After being persecuted, both Penn and Winthrop wanted their people to be free worship, but Penn and Winthrop each had their own approach to the institution and toleration of religion.…

    • 614 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Winthrop, a devout Puritan, was a lawyer, not a minister, and his training shines through in both the structure and content of his argument. From the primary premise that God has ordained a variety of conditions among men–some to be rich, some to be poor, and so forth–he derives the traditional Christian ideal of unity realized through diversity to offer a vision of a political community based in the radical ideal of “brotherly affection.” Based on the extraordinary demands of colonization, Winthrop urged his…

    • 209 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Even those who are only passingly familiar with the horrific events that occurred during the colonization of the Americas know that the perpetrators betrayed the basic sense of compassion inherent in Christianity. However, many settlers claimed the “new” land in the name of God and asserted that they acted in perfect harmony with biblical ideals. With similar intentions, John Winthrop and his fellow settlers travelled to Massachusetts Bay to establish a colony based on Puritan ideals. While on the way to the new colony, Winthrop delivers a sermon entitled "A Model of Christian Charity" to dictate the ideals his Puritan colony would have to follow to please God. Indeed, Winthrop’s sermon suggests that his guidelines should be considered appropriate…

    • 1363 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    From 1700 to 1775, there was a major population boom in the thirteen colonies. Many factors contributed to this boom. The higher fertility rate was one of the main causes for population growth. Ultimately, due to the fertility, the population would double every twenty-five years. In addition, other reasons were due to the increasing number of "forced immigrants" (African slaves) and white immigrants.…

    • 149 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the 1600s, immigration began. Throughout the 1600 and 1700s, the population in colonial America increased rapidly. This was caused by a variety of reasons: enslavement, economy, exportation, religious purification, and freedom from the English government.…

    • 464 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Puritans were religious exiles that left their home of England and settled in the New England states of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, and New Hampshire. This would later be known as the “Mass Bay Colony”. From 1630 – 1643 over 9,000 people migrated from England. The Puritans believed they would “purify and reform” their own religion by creating a “righteous Utopia” which would break ties from Catholicism and the rule of the Kings of England. They were led by John Winthrop who was also a lawyer. The Puritans believed if they honored God with their strict and severe “work ethic” they would succeed and be chosen by God. This became known as the “Protestant Work Ethic”. Their belief was that hard work is a Christian duty and it…

    • 979 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Puritan Migration

    • 1205 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Within this sermon, the religious motivation behind their leaving their country is further revealed. Winthrop states within his sermon three intentions of the Puritan settlement in the New World, those being:…

    • 1205 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays