In the early 1600s, England was a place of religious tension and disagreement. The official church of the country was the Church of England, also called the Anglican Church. It was created by King Henry VIII after he broke away from the Catholic Church. While some people accepted this new church, others were not satisfied. They believed the Church of England was still too similar to the Catholic Church and needed to be reformed or left behind altogether.
Two religious groups became especially unhappy in England: the Pilgrims and the Puritans. The Pilgrims, also known as Separatists, believed the Church of England was so flawed that it could not be fixed. They wanted to separate completely and form their own churches. The Puritans, on the other hand, hoped to purify the church from within. Both groups followed the teachings of John Calvin, who taught that church services should be simple and based directly on the Bible.
The rulers of England did not agree. Queen Elizabeth had allowed some religious differences, but the rulers who followed her, King James I and King Charles I, were less tolerant. They supported the Church of England and did not want others to challenge it. People who refused to attend Anglican services could be fined, jailed, or worse. Some were even forced to leave the country. Both Pilgrims and Puritans faced persecution for their beliefs.
For these groups, staying in England became dangerous. At first, some Pilgrims left for the Netherlands, where they could worship freely. But over time, they worried that their children were losing their English culture. The idea of starting over in the New World became more appealing. They hoped they could build a new community where they could live by their beliefs and raise their families without fear of punishment.
The Puritans made similar decisions. They were frustrated by the slow changes in the Church of England and tired of facing restrictions. They wanted the chance to create a godly society, one that followed their religious rules and values. Many believed the New World was a chance to start fresh and build something better.
By 1620, the first Separatists left England on the Mayflower, and within a few years, larger groups of Puritans followed. They established communities in New England where they could live out their religious beliefs. These settlements were deeply shaped by the ideas and experiences they carried with them from England. What “religious freedom” meant to them would become clear in how they built their colonies.