Motives For Transplantation

Transplantations to the New World.

How did America become the "melting pot" of nationalities it is today? What a wonderfully unique situation it is, that in this world, this nation we call the United States of America, there is such a mixture of ethnic cultures. "A mosaic of peoples." (Carleson, n.d.) The eighteenth century immigration to America included not just the English, but also Dutch, Scandinavians, Germans, Spanish, Scotch-Irish, Irish, Scottish, Africans, French, and Welsh. And of course the Native Americans who were already living here. The motives for this immigration were twofold; religious and economic.

Mercantilism, commercialism, profit, or in short money was the primary motivation for the migration to America. The first permanent English settlements were financed by private companies, so it was business that drove them. When the private companies wanted to recruit more people to enable them to have a sufficient labor force, they began the "headright" system. This system, which for the most part gave each person 50 acres of land; succeeded in attracting families motivated by becoming land owners. (Brinkley, 2007, p. 36). In the early 17th century, George Calvert's motives were both commercial and religious. While he was hoping to gain profit via real estate, he was also looking for religious freedom for English Catholics who felt oppressed by the Anglican establishment. The Calvert's settled in Massachusetts and eventually developed a "headright" system similar to Virginia to attract colonists. They first set sail to the New World in 1634. (Brinkley, 2007, p. 38). Even before the Calvert's the Scrooby group left England on the Mayflower. They were a group of separatists who wanted to worship without interference. (Brinkley, 2007, p. 40).

In 1630 the Massachusetts Bay Company was founded and set off to take advantage of commercial opportunities