Generally speaking, in 1776 the statement that all men are created equal referred to "white males,"--some would even argue only white males who owned property--although the spirt of the document was such that sometime in the future this would apply to a broader group.
1. British king declared all colonists to remain east of the Appalachian mountains
2. The British troops were too few to restrain the thousands of colonists trying to head the other way
The lure of the land, the desire for wealth, the search for adventure and a new start, and religious reasons.
Because they can be used for weapons and tanks.