Home » People & Society » Religion & Belief » The pilgrims didn’t actually leave England because of religious persecution. They left because they were staunch Puritan conservatives and didn’t think the church was strict enough.
pilgrim thanksgiving

The pilgrims didn’t actually leave England because of religious persecution. They left because they were staunch Puritan conservatives and didn’t think the church was strict enough.

Motives for migration to and from Britain – religion and ideas

Ulster Plantations, Pilgrim Fathers and the migration of Huguenots

Looking West

The 16th and 17th centuries were periods of tremendous change in Britain and Europe. Christianity was still the dominant intellectual force but it had been strongly influenced by the cultural Renaissance of the 15th century. The intellectual developments of the Scientific Revolution in the 17th century also played a part in instigating change throughout Europe.

The Christian Church became divided into Catholic and Protestant through a movement called the Reformation. These changes produced a number of situations where groups of people decided to migrate because of their religion.

Ulster Plantations and migration to Ireland

In the 16th century… Continue Reading (4 minute read)

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