Many early settlers came to the New World. They came to flee from religious persecution. As a result, colonies were established. In particular, the Massachusetts Bay Colony and Connecticut Colony served as havens for certain religious groups. Both of these colonies were started by Puritans. Pennsylvania was also established as a religious haven first for the Religious Society of Friends, also known as the Quakers. Pennsylvania and other colonies were accepting of people from other religious denominations. As a result, the beliefs of many religious traditions formed an important foundation for the growth of many different American principles. Which introductory sentence goes best with the details in the paragraph?
A.
In 1630, about 1,000 Puritans settled down and formed the Massachusetts Bay Colony under the leadership of John Winthrop.
B.
Religious freedom was an influential principle in North America even before the U. S. became an independent nation.
C.
Puritanism remained the main religion in the New England colonies in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
D.
The Pilgrims came to America in search of religious freedom in 1620, and the Puritans soon followed for the same reason.