Opportunity

Throughout Bailyn's work, the theme of opportunity springs up in the accounts of emigrants, land speculators, and recruiters. First, many individuals emigrated from the British Isles, because they believed that the colonies offered them an opportunity to better their lives. Bailyn notes that many individuals stated for the Register that this was their primary reason for leaving. Even when economics played a large role in pushing them toward emigration, the individuals hoped that the colonies would bring them a fresh start and a better life.

Other individuals also saw the opportunities for wealth and profit that the colonies offered as well. Some individuals chose to capitalize off the emigration itself. They bought and sold indentured servants' labor, organized emigration voyages, and so on. With a high demand for labor and the opportunity for profit, there were individuals who turned to less than honest means in order to produce...