What did Jamestown and other English colonies react during the English Civil War? Did many colonists return to England to fight?

by Subredditsurfer
lord_mayor_of_reddit

Both Massachusetts and Virginia tried to stay neutral, so as to preserve their livelihood of shipping fur and tobacco and other goods back to Europe. However, when push came to shove, Massachusetts was a bit anti-royal so wasn't too upset to see the King go, while Virginia remained loyal to the crown.

"Virginia boasted that she was the last to acknowledge the authority of Cromwell and the first that returned her allegiance to the throne."

As for colonists returning, it's very unlikely. Sea voyages were dangerous, there were only something like 50,000 Englishpeople living in America at the time (and only a fraction of that would have been men of fighting age) so there wasn't any need for them, and most of those either owned land or else were renting land from a landowner. Leaving America to fight in a war would have meant economic disaster to them and their families, let alone death.

Sources:

https://books.google.com/books?id=PJcMAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA616

https://books.google.com/books?id=kjcUAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA163

https://books.google.com/books?id=R8ktXPaIhXQC&pg=PA75