The statement "Throughout the colonial period, economic concerns had more to do with the settling of Britich North America than did religious concerns" is in a way true. The settling of British North America reflected and equal amount of economic and religious concerns. But the colonies that were founded mainly based on religious concerns were also founded with thoughts of making money.
The colonies of New England, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Connecticut were all founded mainly for religious reasons. Plymouth was founded byt the Separatist Puritans who wanted to begin their own Church without the interference of the British government. They believed in predestination, in which a soul is born destined for hell or heaven. Once a person shows signs of conversion, in which the person is shown that he/she will go to heaven, they are "visible saints". Puritans agree that only visible saints should have Church membership but in England everyone could have Church membership so the Puritans came to the Americas to set up a Church where only visible saints could have membership.
A mountain farm along the Skyline Drive in Virgini...
English: Massachusetts_Bay_Colony_1930_Issue-2c.jp...
William Penn Deutsch: William Penn († 1718) 日...The Massachusetts Bay colony was set up by non-Separatist Puritans and they came also to set up their own Church because the changes in the way the Church in England was run was too slow for them. The way their government and schools were set up reflected their religious reasons. The government was to enforce God's commandments and every child was taught the Lord's words along with the alphabet. Harvard was established to train local boys for the ministry. Maryland was established to provide shelter for Roman Catholics by Lord Baltimore, a prominent Catholic. To this end they passed the Act of Toleration to protect the Catholics in Maryland even though Jews were still persecuted. Pennsylvania was founded by William Penn mainly to...