As a break from European Christianity, missionaries were driven by the ambition to establish the Americas as a center of pure Christianity. Many clergy traveled to the Americas to preach what they saw as a purer form of Christianity and to save the indigenous peoples' souls. They brought with them new ideas about making churches, priests and bishops. Missionaries entered through the Caribbean or along the American coast. They usually went first to Europe, where they obtained permission to travel to the new world. Then they set off for the target country, landing often on uninhabited islands where they built small churches and schools to begin with. The majority returned home after a few years, but some stayed in the new countries and had children with American women, thus founding new families who became important elements of society. This process continued until well into the 19th century, when more efficient transportation systems were developed that made it easier for foreigners to move to the United States. In conclusion, missionaries entered America because they wanted to convert the indigenous people and civilize them. They believed that only by doing so could they have any impact on their lives or communities. Although most of them were Catholic priests or monks, there were also Lutherans, Anglicans and Jews among them.