Why were Separatist "pilgrims" willing to leave England and travel over a vast ocean to the unsettled wilderness of North America? They knew they could practice their religious beliefs there without fear of persecution by mainstream Protestants.
They wanted to find open land to farm, hoping that the money they raised from trade would give them more power in England.
They hoped to avoid paying taxes that supported a church with beliefs they didn't share.
They wanted to spread the benefits of a Christian way of life with the native people of North America.