Why did the Pilgrims and Puritans migrate to the New World?

The Pilgrims and Puritans migrated to the New World primarily in search of religious freedom. The Pilgrims, who were a breakaway sect from the Church of England, left England to escape the restrictive religious environment that did not allow them to practice their beliefs freely. They faced persecution and discrimination for their views, which motivated them to seek a place where they could worship according to their own interpretations of Christianity without fear of reprisal.

Similarly, the Puritans, who sought to purify the Church of England from within, also faced considerable challenges and opposition to their reformist ideas. Their migration was fueled by a desire to establish a community based on their religious ideals, where they could live according to their beliefs and create a "city upon a hill" that would serve as a model of piety and righteousness.

While factors such as economic opportunities and the availability of land were present and did play a role in the migration, the driving force behind the movement was fundamentally about escaping religious persecution and seeking a place where they could establish their own community free from external religious constraints. This strong emphasis on the quest for religious freedom is a crucial aspect of the Pilgrims' and Puritans' history and shapes their legacy in American culture.