From 1700 to 1776, who was the largest group of people that came to england’s mainland colonies?

 From 1700 to 1776, the largest group of people who came to England’s mainland American colonies were Africans, brought forcibly through the transatlantic slave trade. It's important to clarify that while Europeans also migrated to the colonies during this period, the number of enslaved Africans forcibly transported across the Atlantic during the 18th century was immense. Unlike voluntary European immigrants, enslaved Africans were brought to the colonies against their will and were subjected to a life of slavery. The transatlantic slave trade was a key part of the colonial economy, particularly in the southern colonies where large-scale plantations required a significant amount of labor.

Extra: The transatlantic slave trade was part of a larger triangular trading system. This system involved the exchange of goods and people among Europe, Africa, and the Americas. European ships would carry manufactured goods to the west coast of Africa to exchange for enslaved Africans. These enslaved individuals were then forcibly transported across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas in a perilous and inhumane journey known as the Middle Passage. Once in the Americas, enslaved Africans were sold to work on plantations, in mines, or as domestic servants. In return, ships would carry American goods, such as sugar, cotton, tobacco, and later rice and indigo, back to Europe. This brutal practice was not only a significant factor in the development of the American colonial economy but also had a profound and devastating impact on African societies.

The period from 1700 to 1776 was marked by the rise of plantation economies based on cash crops in the southern colonies, such as Virginia and South Carolina, as well as the growth of larger urban centers in the northern colonies, where a more diverse array of economic activities took place. It is also important to note that during this period, there were voluntary European immigrants, including English, German, Scots-Irish, and other groups, who settled in the colonies for various reasons, including religious freedom and economic opportunities. However, the number of Africans brought to the colonies against their will surpassed the number of voluntary immigrants during this time frame.