Who were the pilgrims and why were they persecuted?

Answer 1

As far as I know, Super-fundamenalist christians, who got kicked out of England for having ideas of faith different from the state.

Reason why freedom of (and from) religion was one of the first rights protected by the constitution.

Answer 2

They were English Christians who preferred a different form of worship from the Church of England, or Anglican Church, which the King was the head of.

During the time of the previous monarch, Elizabeth I, any people who didn't worship in the Anglican way were expected to be Roman Catholics, and therefore hateful rebels and traitors who owed more loyalty to the Pope than to the Queen - and no wonder, since their Pope was denouncing Elizabeth as a *******, heretic, and not the rightful Queen, and urging them to revolt and depose her.

And after Elizabeth, there was the "Gunpowder Plot" by the Roman Catholic Guy Fawkes to blow up the King, so Catholics were still viewed as potential traitors. Unfortunately for the Pilgrims, who opposed the Pope just as much as Anglicans did, they got persecuted for not doing things the Anglican way, just as badly as if they had been Roman Catholics.

Answer 3

I don't know exactly what you mean here, but I'm guessing you mean those who settled in Plymouth MA.

A list of those on the "Mayflower" can be found on link 1.

The pilgrims originated from the East Midlands of England and were a non-conformist group of Puritans who believed that it was impossible for reconciliation with the Church of England.

They originally left England around 1607-1608 because of the volatile political situation at the time, and relocated to Leiden, near Amsterdam. The group decided to get sponsorship for the setting up of a Protestant colony in America and set sail from Leiden, via Southampton in 1620.

Answer 4

They were Europeans who wanted freedom from religious oppression. Ironic, don't you think?

Answer 5

some white people. because the king wanted to put some color back in his land.