Why did the Puritans leave England for America?

The Puritans left England for America primarily due to religious persecution. In the early 17th century, the Church of England, which was under the leadership of the British monarch, was seen by many Puritans as too similar to the Catholic Church and not fully reformed. The Puritans were a group of English Protestants who sought to "purify" the Church of England from what they perceived to be remnants of Roman Catholicism that had not been eliminated following the English Reformation.

The Puritans believed in a more direct, simple form of worship and church organization than was available to them in England at the time. They desired to worship as they chose, interpreting the Bible in their own way without the influence of the established church hierarchy. This religious dissent led to friction and conflict with the Church of England and the British government, which was intolerant of religious dissent.

Furthermore, during the reign of King James I and his successor, King Charles I, there were increased efforts to enforce religious uniformity. These monarchs were not sympathetic to Puritan views and even enacted laws to suppress their religious practices. Puritans faced imprisonment, fines, or worse if they deviated from the officially sanctioned religious practices.

Ultimately, a group of Puritans decided to leave England in search of a place where they could practice their faith freely. This quest led them to the New World, where in 1620, the Mayflower transported the first group of Puritans, who are commonly known as Pilgrims, to North America. They settled in what is now Massachusetts, where they established Plymouth Colony with the hope of creating a new society based on their religious beliefs.