Who are the pilgrims and why did they leave England?

Pilgrim

Did you ever wonder why the pilgrims came to America? A pilgrim is a member of a group of English Puritans who left England because they could not practice the religion they wanted to. Eventually, pilgrims sailed in the Mayflower and founded the colony of Plymouth in North America in 1620.

Separatists

The pilgrims did not agree with the Church of England. They were apart of a group called Separatists. They wanted to worship as they pleased and “separate” from the Church. King James I was in charge of both the country and the church. Not belonging to the church meant not obeying the king. This was called treason.

King James I

Move to Holland

Since the Separatists could not worship the way they wanted to in England, they moved to Holland in 1609. They liked living in Holland, but had some trouble. They had the challenge of learning a new language. The pilgrims were also poor. Many of them were forced to work difficult jobs all day long, for little money. They had found religious peace in Holland, but they were making barely enough money to survive.

Setting Sail to America

In 1620 some of the pilgrims decided to set sail for North America. There was already an English colony established in Jamestown, but the pilgrims feared going there. They were afraid the English would treat them badly because of their religious beliefs. So the pilgrims decided to go to the northern Virginia territory.