Why would european nations give away land to people willing to settle and work in their colonies?

European nations give away land to people willing to settle and work in their colonies, because they have to pay the people to live there, as many of their civilians didn't want to go, for there were no profit in going "Why would we go to an unkonwn place for no profit". The land allowed companies to send settlers there, as people went there to farm or get rich quickly

hope this helps

The second , larger puritan colony of massachusetts bay was conceived as a "city upon a hill". but it also struggled with internal turmoil like the salem witch trials and external conflicts like king philip's (metacom's) war.