The Importance Of Migration To Colonial America

When all went wrong for a European back in the day, what were they supposed to do? The answer: move to the New World, of course! In the 15th through 18th centuries, many people immigrated from Europe to this “New World” to form colonies that would eventually become the United States of America. Some people came to colonial America seeking adventure. However, most people actually came to escape their autocratic governments, to find more economic opportunities, and to freely practice their religions. Therefore, the majority of immigrants came to colonial America to live in better conditions than the lands they previously lived on. Many immigrants came to colonial America to get away from the autocratic governments of their home countries. Most
countries in Europe were monarchies in this time, with powerful and controlling kings and queens. Most people resented their leaders, especially the British, and wanted to be free from their reign. So, they came to the New World. The author James Truslow Adams described how people wanted to be free of the oppressive demands of government. In some cases, criminals were sent to the new world by their governments by committing crimes such as rape, theft, and murder. Some of these “criminals” that came from England were actually victims of the unfair English penal code. Perhaps if governments had treated their citizens better, then more people would have stayed at home. People also came to the New World seeking economic opportunities.
America would have higher paying jobs and affordable land. William Penn, an immigrant from England, agreed with this saying that labor in America is worth more than it is in England, and that living would be cheaper. Due to overpopulation in England, thousands were forced off their land, according to the professor Clarence Ver Steeg. Among these people were farmers, who needed land to grow their crops. America had plenty of land for farming, and the soil had the right conditions to grow tobacco, a very profitable plant. Some of the farmers came as indentured servants, working in exchange for food, clothes, and land. Since more labor was required on farms, many Africans were forced to come to America to be slaves, increasing the population. Olaudah Equiano was an African who was forced to come to America at a young age, and was separated from his family, which he wrote about in The Interesting Narrative of Olaudah Equiano. England also suffered an economic depression, drawing more people to America. From the Netherlands, the Dutch West India Company came to America for resources and for the market. They bought Manhattan, which they ran in the interest of stockholders. The French also came for resources, especially the beaver, which was the most valuable resource. The Scots-Irish came to escape rent increase. With better jobs, available land, and abundant resources, colonial America was truly a land of
opportunity. America was also a place where immigrants could freely practice their religion.
In Europe, practicing certain religions could get a person persecuted. Many people, such as the Pilgrims, came to America seeking safety from being persecuted. The Puritans wanted to “purify,” or de-catholicize English Christianity, They came to America to get away from the Catholics. These separatists searched for a safe haven where they could live and die and English men and women. In one of his sermons, John Winthrop, who was a leader of a large group of Puritans, said that they left England to be preserved from the corruptions of the evil world so they could serve the lord. Individuals were also banished by the church and came to America, such as Roger Williams. He was banished because he denied that the civil government could govern religious behavior. Other groups that came to America for religious reasons were the Calvinists, Lutheran Germans (also known as the Pennsylvania Dutch), the Scots-Irish, and Quakers. The Scots-Irish were Presbyterians and were persecuted for it at home. They eventually came to America to escape being punished for their beliefs. Peaceful Quakers were fined, flogged, and banished to America. As a result of all this immigration, America had a blend of many different
religions. Although people may have come to America for adventurous purposes, they also came to improve their lives. They came for a better government, better economic opportunities, and to freely express their beliefs. Even today, people move to America for these reasons. Immigration may not be as massive now as it was in the colonial days, but people still see America as a land of opportunity, and come here to begin a new life.