New York was situated between the Puritan colonies of New England and the catholic colony of Maryland, so the settlers were of many faiths. They had considerable religious freedom. Although minorities were numerous, it can be said that Protestantism was the main religion in colonial New York. This was because both the Dutch and the English were Protestant, and wanted their colonies to be Protestant too. Religion in New York during colonial times was often segregated and individualistic, however the fact that economic gain was the motivating factor of the colony's existence, many different religious groups inherited its promise.