Two Journeys...

[Shelob]

This is an interesting idea and I would like to contribute to it...unfortunately my mind just shut down for the day and the only almost relevant thing I can think is that my friend can trace her family back to people who came to America on the Mayflower...

Oh, but I lie...one slightly relevant thought has come through...

The first of your differences is that

# The elves did know some things about Valinor, like it would be good, but the colonists did not know what to expect about America.

it's true that the colonists didn't really know what to expect but later immigrants/emigrants (whichever is technically right, I never know) did know/think that America would be better and still, like the colonists and elves, abandon everything to come here to start over completely--well, I guess they didn't abandon everything, communication was quicker than it was for the colonists.

Sorry that it's more a rigmarole than an actual-coherent-helpful thought...I'll revisit this idea tomorrow--when I can think things through...