The Pilgrims never meant to completely leave British rule behind. They sailed under a charter from the Virginia Company of London to plant a colony near New York, under the rule of that English company; when they ended up north of there outside of the Company's authority, they drew up the Mayflower Compact identifying themselves as "loyal subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord King James," and quickly regularized their position with a charter from the group that did have authority over that area, the Virginia Company of Plymouth.

Their goal was not to escape English authority, but to merely be able to worship and live according to their own beliefs. This was distinct from religious freedom in and of itself, as dissidents like Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson would soon learn. But - though they gained practical political independence save financial obligations, as the Company had no wish or ability to interfere - their goals were completely religious.