The Puritans came to America mainly to find a place where they could freely practice their religion. In the 1630s, they left England due to religious persecution under King James I and King Charles I, who were hostile to their demands for reforming the Church of England. They aimed to establish a colony based on strict religious laws that reflected their beliefs, hoping to create a "City upon a Hill"—a model Christian commonwealth that would inspire others. They obtained a royal charter to settle in New England, founding the Massachusetts Bay Colony where they enforced religious conformity and governed a theocratic society. Their goal was to build a pure church community in the New World and to worship God according to their own doctrines without interference, although their society itself allowed no religious tolerance for different beliefs.
