 The Congregation obtained a land patent from the London Virginia Company in June 1619 , after declining the opportunity to settle south of Cape Cod in New Netherland because of their desire to avoid the Dutch influence . This land patent allowed them to settle at the mouth of the Hudson River . They then sought financing through the Merchant Adventurers , a group of businessmen who principally viewed the colony as a means of making a profit . Upon arriving in America , the Pilgrims began working to repay their debts . 
