Morten St George Theory

[Morten St. George]

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.

For Cathars of the 13th century, the choice was either take your chances on the open seas or be burned at the stake. It's not hard to imagine that some of them could have made it to America especially taking note of ocean currents that could carry boats from east to west.