The European countries and private companies therein funded most of the emigration from Europe to the 'New World' for the same reason that they traveled to and colonised every other place they found by hopping in ships and wandering the high seas. Money. By way of trading for and stealing natural resources from indigenous peoples. But the reason that the colonists here were willing to found a new country and go to war in its defense was because the British government and companies wanted the colonists to send the lions share of the fruits of thier labors back to the 'Mother Land', and taxation without representation was a microcosm of what was going on overall. The established wealthy were making the working class pioneers thier bitch, so those working class grew a pair and fought back. Its a shame that we dont share that quality with our forefathers. Chalk it up to too much Fox News propaganda I guess. My 2ç'