America: My Only Hope The English civil War proved to be a detriment to my family and livelihood. As a strong backer of King Charles I, I was forced to flee my country that I hold so dear, and take up a new life in her colonies. As a married nobleman with a twelve year old son and a ten year old daughter, and as a devoted member of the Anglican Church, my highest priority in choosing a colony to settle is the toleration of my religion. I also am factoring economic opportunity into my decision. I wasn’t able to get the price I wanted out of my manor due to time constraints, so I need to be able to support my family in some way. After much deliberation, I have come to the conclusion that my family will move to Virginia due to the availability of making money from growing tobacco, and itsdedication to the Anglican Church. Barely a month after the unjustified and treasonous execution of King Charles I, my family and I arrived in Virginia. Immediately we got situated into a fine manor house near the Atlantic Ocean. Although acceptance of the Anglican religion was the main reason for picking Virginia out of the available colonies, my wife and two children needed to be as far away from the threat posed by the Indians as possible. Staying near the coast means less chance of a brutal attack by any of those savages. They don’t follow the Anglican Church, and will eventually suffer from their lack of faith. Struggles with the Indians in Virginia can’t be stopped anytime in the near future, but my family can protect itself from such violence. While the militia is strong, Virginia can stay our home for many years to come. The Powhatan Wars ended just two years before our arrival, but now most of the conflicts have ceased. Without having to worry about Indians, my family and I can focus on our religion and economic concerns. The Anglican religion is followed in full in Virginia; dissenters from the church are not allowed the right to vote at all. In England I was never tolerant of other religions, even other forms of Protestantism, and my views haven’t changed in the slightest since settling here. The first thing I looked for when deciding which colony to move to was religion. I considered Delaware due to its lack of Indian interference, but in the end ruled it out because of its toleration of a multitude of religions I myself do not approve of. New York accepted Anglicans, but it allowed individual towns to vote on which church would receive the town’s tax money, a system I simply can’t be a part of. Luckily, Virginia had instituted policies that I can freely associate myself with. My political rights such as voting and even running for office are guaranteed here, while I may be more restricted in Maryland since many Roman Catholics have settled there in recent years. Staying in Virginia has allowed me to maintain my political rights and freely practice my religion. Another important factor in choosing a colony was education. My son can enjoy lessons from a tutor in Virginia. He will work hard and one day attend college. My daughter can receive a limited education before learning more from her mother about housekeeping and cooking. Many