Why did they cross?

Question

Why did the Englishmen crossthe Atlantic at nearly the same time, create such radically different socities in the CHesapake colonies and New England?

Answer 1

The British government sent colonies to the new world to intially look for gold.

The New England colonies were settled by the puritians to escape religious persecution in Britain. And the Chesapeake colonies were founded by the Quakers I believe.

Answer 2

The British, French, and Dutch all managed to establish continental colonies in North America in the early decades of the seventeenth century because there was a trans-Atlantic power vaccuum left by the Spanish Crown's attention being shifted elsewhere. Immediately following Columbus' "discovery" of the Americas, the Spanish put great efforts into getting a toehold there and conquering the great aboriginal empires of Central and South America. Immediately shipping their plunder back to Spain, all of a sudden the Spanish Crown had become the "big fish" in the European pond. They had money for ships, soldiers, and extended military campaigns which they then turned on their weakened western European neighbours who were suffering through the Reformation Wars, internal power struggles, and eventually the Thrity Years War. Being Spain held a principality roughly contained in the modern state of Belgium, they pushed for territorial growth against the Dutch and French kingdoms and into the German principalities. Their navy pushed around the English and interfered with their wool and other commodity trading with the Dutch (which was brutal to their economy).

Peace was eventually made with the English when Ferdinand and Isabella's grandson Phillip ascended the throne and was married to Henry VIII's daughter Mary of England (Bloody Mary). When this marriage failed to produce an heir and Mary died, her half sister Elizabeth ascended the English throne and rebuffed Phillip's when, in an effort to preserve his plan of uniting the Spanish and English thrones, he proposed marriage. Angered by this, Phillip launched a large part of his fleet to depose Elizabeth and do what he had failed to through marriage by military force. Through a combination of bad weather, bad decision making, and just plain ordinary good fortune, the outgunned English fleet managed to lead the Spanish Armada into disaster and start the English/British naval ascendancy on the Atlantic.

Within a few years, Phillip died alone and without an heir so the Spanish throne passed to his cousins in the House of Habsburg who's head, Charles, at the time happened to be the pre-eminent power broker in the Holy Roman Empire (German states) and the titular Emperor. When the Turks invaded the eastern Europe with a clear intent to over running the German states, one of the ugliest European wars of the modern era started and most of Spain's remaining military was diverted to bolstering Charles German forces in the east.

What this meant was the formerly victimized Dutch, French, and English now had money diverted from military endeavors and supplemented by increased trade that was no longer harassed by the Spanish and they could spend it on creating their own new world empires that would further inflate their treasuries just as the Spanish possession had. In the case of the English however, this was further complicated by their own religious struggles where different religious groups began to use the same opportunities (increased wealth and open seas) and certain groups (Pilgrims, Puritans, Quakers, Catholics) all decided to establish new societies that hopefully would be a safe haven for their beliefs and reflect back upon larger English society.

That's why there was a big settlement boom all around the same time. Hope I helped.

Answer 3

Basically 2 different types of groups of people settled here Puritans and Quakers. Eventually the Indians helped them to survive winter etc. then we subsequently used them and killed them and took all there lands...but thats another story!

Answer 4

They landed at the wrong spot on purpose, as to not be a part of the mother country's rule

Answer 5

ok. hey i'm the girl that wrote the poem.. hmm.. let's see. i would love to!!!!

what do you want it to be titled and about?! i will probally send it in one of your questions hun. just tell me so i can get started. (respond by editing your answer in my poem question)

Answer 6

Religion was different.

Answer 7

to explore