- Inflation- The Spanish drove prices up because of their wasteful spending.
- Unemployment- There were not enough jobs in England and debtor prisoner were becoming overcrowded.
- Businessman looking for investments, raw materials, and new markets. - Mercantilism- an economic system where a nations power is measured by its wealth in gold and silver. In order to make mercantilism work, countries competed with one another to acquire gold and silver. The colonies were very important to mercantilism because they supported their mother country by becoming a source of raw materials to create a favorable balance of trade by allowing England to export more than it imports. .
- England desired self-sufficiency. In order to accomplish this they needed more raw materials. The colonies were a new and large source of raw materials .
2. Social Reasons: .
- Primogeniture- the tradition in which the oldest son of a noble family inherits all of his fathers estate. Since second or third born sons did not receive any inheritance, they decided to travel to the New World, in search of land and wealth. Nobles were capable of making large land claims in the New World.
3. Religious Reasons: .
- In 1534 Henry VIII broke from the Catholic Church and established the Anglican Church (Church of England) in which the king was the head of the church. Catholics who remained loyal to the Pope were often persecuted in England because the leader of the church was the king. .
- Puritans- former members of the Anglican Church who wanted to simplify (or "purify") the ceremonies of the Church of England. They believed in predestination and simple worship and prayer.
- Separatists- did not agree with the Catholic Church or the Anglican Church. They broke off and formed several religious groups including Puritans. The Pilgrims were separatists.
4. Political Reasons:.
- People wanted more representation in government and more civil liberties.