What types of opportunities were English settlers seeking?

Answer 1

In general, the opportunity to improve their livelihoods and practice their religions as they chose. At the time, England was very much a class society so if persons were not born into a family that had land and titles from the King, they would never achieve a higher status in life than they were born into. For the most part in colonial America, there was no class system, so there was a feeling of equality among the colonists. People could improve their standing by what they could do, not just by being born into the right family. They could never own land. In the colonies, a person could become a landowner simply by taking it in many areas and working it. As to religion, the official state religion in England was the Anglican church. Other religions were not tolerated and were persecuted. In order to aspire to government office, people had to swear to the Anglican religion even if they believed in another. People of these oppressed religions left England so that they could practice the religion they chose without fear of persecution.