Non-mainstream religions were suppressed. Many believers in old or different religions emigrated.
Poverty was the strongest motivator, however. Many of the people who migrated to the Americas were basically wage-slaves with no possibility of advancement, or people who were not allowed to own land. In the Americas, there was lots of land. They didn't even have money for the boat fare. That's why so many went as indentured servants, taking 2 to 4 years of work to pay off their fares once they reached the New World.
Poverty was the strongest motivator, however. Many of the people who migrated to the Americas were basically wage-slaves with no possibility of advancement, or people who were not allowed to own land. In the Americas, there was lots of land. They didn't even have money for the boat fare. That's why so many went as indentured servants, taking 2 to 4 years of work to pay off their fares once they reached the New World.