Despite the fact that both religion and economics played a part in the colonization of America, the statement that "economic concerns had more to do with the settling of British North America than did religious concerns" is valid. These economic concerns, as a cause for the colonization of British North America, outweighed the notable religious concerns that arose, and dominated colonial life during and up until the very end of the British colonial era in North America.
The vast economic concerns that caused British settlement of North America included the opportunity to discover gold and silver, to find a North American waterway that would lead directly to China and the Indies, and the hope of countering Spain's dominance in North America. In addition to these economic reasons for colonization, the English were also seeking to obtain the essential "raw materials" in America that they had been previously buying from other European countries for ridiculous amounts of money and gold.
English:
English: British colonies in North America, c. 175...
America by AirMany Englishmen wanted to go to America in search of gold in order to better their lives. The economics in Great Britain were not great, some classes were falling and some were rising on the economic scale. The change from Feudalism to capitalism in Great Britain, in addition to the changes in classes and fluctuations on the economic scale, was upsetting the conditions in England greatly. Due to these changes, many people thought that a new start would be a good idea. They figured that they didn't have much to lose, so they might as well adventure to America with hopes of a better future.
Great Britain also sought to solve other economic problems through American colonization. For example, England needed to multiply and find more of its diminishing materials and resources, create another "market" to export its goods and merchandise,