Why did English Catholics come to America?

Answer 1

Some came to escape persecution, wars and famine in Europe. Some came to look for a life that offered more opportunities than they could find in their old country. Others came looking for the rumored wealth to be found in the New World. In other words, they came for much the same reasons all immigrants of all faiths have come and still come.

Answer 2

IT was the same purpose as everywhere else the helping of people, the saving of souls.

The corporal and spiritual works of mercy is another way to look at it.

If you really want to see the Church in the New World in its best aspect, research the 30+ utopian villages the Jesuits set up for the Guarani Indians, a group from the jungles that adventurers and military and other were persecuting and exploiting.

Answer 3

Before the War of Independence there were large groups of Catholics in the Spanish and French settled areas, particulary the South, Mid-west (Louisiana), and Canada. From the War of Independence until 1841 there was relatively little immigrate, but between 1841 and 1850 Immigration rose sharply, mostly Irish due to the potato famine, and they were all Catholics. Catholics also came from Germany and France due to failed revolutions, bad times, and poor conditions in Europe. After 1870 Immigration again increased from southern Europe and Russia, most of these were Catholics: Italians, Greeks, Hungarians, Poles, and other slavs. This wave of immigrate, Wikipedia contends is mostly younger people (15 to 30) due to farming improvements which left many people out of work.

Answer 4

Roman Catholics generally came to the American colonies for two reasons:

(1) To evangelize the native American Indians; and

(2) To practice their faith without civil government interference.

Answer 5

A lot of them came to Canada to find a better life than they had in the "old world".

Answer 6

They came, primarily to Maryland, to escape persecution in England.

Answer 7

Religious freedom and trade

Answer 8

To escape persecution.