In the early 1600’s, England was clamoring for more power. Other major European reigns were superseding her in land, riches and therefore, power. To stay in line with her competitors, Queen Elizabeth sent explorers to North America to find land and riches to call her own. There were many motivating factors that finally led to English colonization, including economic prosperity, religious freedom and expansion, and political prestige.While Spain pillaged for gold and silver in hopes of making a quick, but unsustainable buck, and the French were busy fur trading, Great Britain played a different game. The English colonists sent the fruits of their newly established territories back home to factories in England.
There, the factories were fueled by these natural resources, and supplies were manufactured. Knowing the colonists would need provisions, they sent the goods back to America to be taxed and sold, then, reaped the profitable reward. Mercantilism allowed Great Britain to control enough resources within their own empire, they never had to rely on trade with any of their competitors, making them a self-sufficient and essentially untouchable empire.
Initially, colonizing wasn’t a priority for European nations. Wealth and power was most important, so finding a passage to Asia for more efficient trading was what started the exploration of The New World. Eventually, the new land became more than just a mecca for money-making; North America was a place for people to escape religious persecution. With Reformation making its way though Europe, many religious minorities were forced to migrate. In 1620,
