That just showed how bad the alternative of staying in Europe at the time was, and how a class system, abject poverty, and the constant risk of death from war,

That just showed how bad the alternative of staying in Europe at the time was, and how a class system, abject poverty, and the constant risk of death from war, injury, disease, and miscarriage (of justice, and the genuine kind) reduced the value of human life. All cynicism aside, today’s developed democracies offer vastly improved lives. You may feel bored and adventurous, but I am unsure if those feelings can naively account for the motivation of the settlers. There is also something to be said for the difference the actual experience would bring. It’s one thing to be alone on a vast green continent, ready to be molded in the shape of your dreams by your bare hands (ignoring here, as always, the existing, native, population). Something tells me these settlers would have fared less well in a tiny aluminum sphere that requires you to solve differential equations to grow some salad.