Life in the colonies was significantly different than our lives today. The colonists didn't have cars, cell phones, sneakers, video games, or electricity. Could you imagine life that way? By looking at how these people lived, we will be able to understand who they were and more about this time in history.

Why did people leave what they knew to come to an unknown land?

Usually we can attribute their reasoning to the 3 G's

1. God - To follow Matthew 28:18-20 and make disciples of ALL nations as well as leave religious persecution
2. Gold - Economics - To make money
3. Glory - For individuals to be famous or for countries to acquire more land

In addition to these reasons, many people came because they wanted more freedom from their governments. Many governments in Europe at the time abused their power and many colonists wanted to start their own representative governments. This attracted MANY different people from many different walks of life. Some of these people included but were not limited to prisoners, indentured servants, merchants, priests, soldiers, and artisans.

What is true of all these people is that they came to the colonies in search of a better life. Each person's idea of what a "better life" meant was different, so they would have to chose a region (New England, Middle, or Southern colonies) that best fit their definition.