Why would people travel to a continent that was newly discovered? They knew very little about the land and less about the people already living here. Europeans came for multiple reasons. They came for money, freedom of religion, to go back to "the good old days," adventure, marriage and some were even forced. No matter how they got here they all had to adapt to a new way of life, and unfortunately that cost a lot of lives. However, eventually they were able to band together and accomplish what was needed to survive.

             Europeans came to America for the three G"s: Gold, Gospel, and Glory. They hoped to find gold, pearls or, at least, valuable spices. Many people came to the "New World" for the freedom to practice their religion. Others came as heroes. They could come and develop a settlement and then be looked upon later as a hero or savior. The largest motivator for people to move to America was greed. It is the fourth and most dominant, yet unmentioned G. People came because they wanted land, money and to find a trade route that did not pass through the Muslim world. Europeans wanted a lot from the New World, yet they knew nothing of the territory they had just discovered.

             America was full of challenges that would need to be overcome. At least 20% of all colonists died during seasoning, the first one to three years, on the new continent. These people died for various reasons: disease, rebellious natives, a poor work ethic, and poor nutrition. .

             The first settlement, Jamestown, was settled on swampy land in 1607 by a group of men. Men were there to make money, not to settle down. Consequently, 84% of the population was male while the remaining 16% were female. Most of the men in the colony were between fifteen and twenty-four years old and there was one woman for every five or six men. Therefore, when a woman was widowed, she remarried within a few months. Although it may seem harsh, many women came to America because they knew there would be men to marry.