Answer:
Two religious reasons that brought many colonists to North America were the desire for religious freedom and the opportunity to spread their faith:
- Religious Freedom: Many colonists sought to escape religious persecution in Europe and establish communities where they could freely practice their faith. Examples include the Pilgrims, who established Plymouth Colony in 1620, and the Puritans who settled the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 1630s. They sought to create societies based on their religious beliefs without interference from the Church of England or other European religious authorities.
- Spreading Faith: Some colonists were motivated by a desire to spread their religious beliefs to the indigenous populations of North America. Missionaries from various Christian denominations, such as the Catholic Franciscans and the Protestant Puritans, saw the colonization of America as an opportunity to convert Native Americans to Christianity. They believed it was their religious duty to bring salvation to the "heathens" and expand their faith.