The Great Migration of Puritans from England to New England between 1620 and 1640 was driven by a desire for religious freedom and the opportunity to establish a "nation of saints." During this period, roughly 20,000 Puritans, who were generally educated and relatively prosperous, emigrated to New England to escape religious persecution and the political turmoil back home. ^[16] Frustrated by the lack of reform in the Church of England and increasingly at odds with the monarchy, these settlers established colonies like Plymouth Plantation and Massachusetts Bay Colony, creating a deeply religious and socially cohesive society. The period also saw figures like Roger Williams advocating for religious tolerance and the separation of church and state, eventually leading to the founding of the Rhode Island Colony as a haven for religious freedom. This migration significantly shaped the cultural and religious landscape of what would become the United States.