What was a primary motivation for New England colonists?

• A. To seek profit from cash crops.
• B. To establish a colony solely for economic expansion.
• C. To engage in aggressive expansion to acquire new territories.
• D. To create a safe place for a purer religious community.

Answer: (D)

The main idea is that New England colonists were driven by a desire to practice their religion freely and build a community based on their faith. Many Puritans left England because they faced religious restrictions and hoped to create a society where church life, governance, and daily life reinforced a “purer” form of worship. They organized towns around congregations, stressed literacy so people could read the Bible, and governed community life to sustain their religious ideals. That motive—creating a safe place for a purer religious community—drives the historical record for these colonies.

Trade and economic activity did matter and supported the colonies, but they weren’t the primary draw. The other options point to profits from cash crops, sheer economic expansion, or aggressive expansion for territory, which are more characteristic of other regions or later periods.