How did america get started?

Question

is it true that we left europe to find india and to have the freedom to beilive in God? thanks.

Answer 1

In the 15th century, Columbus (an Italian under contract with Spain) set out to find a route to the Indies (Pacific) but ended up bumping into the New World instead, but it worked out okay regardless (for him.) He made several voyages to the Americas but never actually set foot on the mainland of North America; the closest he came was the Caribbean and Central America.

The "Puritans" were a small sect of religious extremists who left England in the 17th century in order to get away from the sinful culture around them, establish a new society and try to spread it further. They established bases in New England. The "Pilgrims" were a subset of this group who established Plymouth colony. They did not tolerate Catholics, Jews, Quakers, or any other form of Christianity except their own.

Meanwhile (17th-18th cents.) the Spanish were exploring the southern and western parts of America -- California, the desert Southwest, Florida, and so forth.

France had something going in Canada and the central Mississippi area of the North America, but got pushed out by Spain and Britain. Later, Napoleon needed funds for his European conquests and ended up selling a huge tract of land (the Louisiana Purchase) to the United States.

Vikings from Scandanavia visited Newfoundland in the 10th century, established bases, but couldn't maintain them for various reasons -- unfriendly natives, long distances to supply the colonists, etc.

Before all of that, when Alaska was connected to Siberia by means of the Bering Land Bridge, Mongoloid tribes walked over to settle the Americas and were the forerunners of the various tribes of the Americas.

Answer 2

America was discovered by accident. The European explorers during the Age of Exploration originally set out to find an all-water route to Asia. The overland route was too long, too costly, and too dangerous. More profit could be made by a water route to the spices of India, China, and other areas of Asia.

Pilgrims were separatists who wanted to separate themselves from the Church of England. They also wanted to separate themselves from those who were not believers, the damned. Pilgrims believed they were elected by God for salvation and they wanted to worship only with other “saints” who had also been saved by God.

Puritans were followers of the teachings of Calvin and believed, like the Separatists, that man was born in sin and they all bore the guilt of Adam and Eve. To become saved, they would have to prove they were worthy while here on earth. To be worthy one would prosper, be faithful, and lead a successful life. Instead of separating from the Church of England, they wanted to “purify” the Church of the influence of the Catholic Church within the Anglican Church, thus the name, Puritans. Puritans wanted to remove themselves from non-Puritans. They originally wanted to leave Great Britain because they were not pleased with the way non-Puritans were worshipping without much interference.

Answer 3

The pilgrams came from England because they were being forced into the church and its traditions and didn't have a choice how they worshiped.  So they came to "the New World" so they would have the freedom to worship as they so chose. That was the beginning of colonial life in America.  Then England tried to claim this new land for itself. But the people who lived here declare Indepenence from England and fought and won the Revolutionary war so they could be their own country which they called America.

Answer 4

Christopher Columbus traveled west hoping to find India and China but he found America instead. Some Americans did come to America for the freedom to believe in God and worship in the way they wanted.