The Puritan religion was not only a religion, but also a way of life. The Puritans had broken off from the Church of England and were being persecuted in England. The Puritans migrated as whole families instead of other groups of migrations, which were mostly young, single men. Records show that many of the Puritans could read and were very devoted to their religion. In fact the founder of the Massachusetts Bay Colony was a Puritan.