Although both religious and economic concerns had influences on the settling of British North America, the statement

that economic concerns had more to do with [it] than did religious concerns is valid. The British government was more concerned with staying in the lead with other countries throughout Europe in the economic race rather than trying to find religious havens for people who were not with the majority when it came to religion. Likewise, the people in England cared more about money than they did with anything else. With the formation of the London Company, the ineffective economic system in England and the occurrence of the Enclosure Movement, many were economically driven to settle in the New World in hopes of leading better lives. The Virginia Company of London, or the London Company, is the primary, and economic, reason as to why the first colony in America was established. The London Company was a group of joint-stock investors who were interested in settling into America and become rich in the process. The company was not interested in religious concerns as they were concerned of making money in the New World. They funded a voyage expedition to America which eventually led to the founding of Jamestown after a few rough years, in hopes of finding vast amounts of gold and silver. Englands gold reserves were nearly out; therefore the London Company reasoned that there must be gold in America since it has never been excavated at the time. The settlers did not find gold until much later, but they did find a cash crop as a substitute for gold. If it wasnt for the profitable cash crop of tobacco, America would have ceased to continue settling. England had a very high demand of tobacco. In such cases, they would purchase it from the settlers in the New World, settlers who would then earn money out of it. Virginia became the center of colonial activity in Britain before The Great Migration of Puritans since it is also the economic center of America.

In addition to the change in classes and fluctuations on the economic scale, the change from feudalism to capitalism in Great Britain brought down the hopes of many people in England. The economic system in England at the time was lacking sufficient money. Taxes were pressed on peasants by the Parliament, yet the nobility were subject to very little payment of taxes in exchange for their support of the crown. With the tremendous tax burden lying on the peasants backs, some peasants turned to America for help. Peasants either chose to move to America to simply strike it rich and return to England with lots of money. Due to drastic changes, many people thought that a new start would be an exceptional idea. They figured that they did not have much to lose, so they might as well venture to America with hopes of a better future. The majority of the people coming into America were not Puritansthey were simply people looking to escape the tax system of Britain and make some money while doing it. They also wanted a way to acquire farmland at a cheap price so they could be farmers, which many came to achieve. In England, land availability became very miniscule due to the Enclosure Movement. The Enclosure Movement was after the open-field system, which gave peasants the freedom to live on their owners lands. During the Enclosure Movement, the owners put fences to declare boundaries to their lands; because of this, the purchase for the leftover land became very high due to the scarcity of land. When North America was being discovered, fifty acres of land was given away for free if one wanted to settle in the New World under Edwin Sandys Headright System. If one was able to persuade and pay for the voyage of 250 other settlers to the New World, he/she would be able to receive as much as 1250 acres. This was used as an incentive by the London Company for colonists to move from England to the New World. This system of free land attracted many people in England and all of Europe.

Economics concerns outweighed and dominated the start, duration and end of the colonial era of British North America more than the religious concerns did. Perhaps the only biggest reason for religious migration to America was the Protestant Reformation, indirectly leading to the English Civil War. The Protestant Reformation was the questioning of the church by Martin Luther and eventually John Calvin and others. This led to the split of many different religious including Puritanism. At first, England established the Church of England, or the Anglican Church. Puritans disagreed with the teachings of the Church of England and decided they wanted to purify religion. The English Civil War made it understandable to the Puritans that they can no longer purify Englands religious movements in England. The English Civil War started with the persecution of Puritans by King Charles I and II. A violent war erupted in England between the Cavaliers, Royalists that remained loyal to the king, and the Roundheads, the Protestants and Puritans who did not. Some of the Roundheads who did not support the king managed to escape to the New World. The war ultimately ended in the decapitation of the king, replacing him with Oliver Cromwell. Cromwells reign was disliked, which stimulated few groups of Puritans to migrate to the New World. These escapades made Puritans come to America to form a New Jerusalem, or City on a Hill. However, many Puritans still chose to stay in Europe whilst economic concerns drove a bulk amount of people to colonize into British North America. Therefore, the argument that economic concerns had more to do with the settling of British North America than did religious concerns is valid.