Choose one of the following questions and write an essay following the guidelines in this module. Be sure to identify the Question Number on your essay.

1. Compare and contrast the English colonies in the New England region and the Chesapeake region. Include motivations, governance, settlement patterns, society, demographics, political participation, and relationships with Indians.
2. How did the structure of the newly independent United States change from 1776 to 1787? Explain the ideological, political, and governmental shift for the Framers from the Declaration of Independence to the S. Constitution? Be sure to explain the conflicts that led to the change and occurred during the process of transforming the national government.
3. Why did the Spanish, French, and Dutch (NOT the English) establish colonies in the Americas (the entire hemisphere)? Be sure to include the original goal of these enterprises. What was the institutional structure and purpose of the first colonial establishments? Where did these imperial powers establish their colonies and why? What were the similarities and differences in colonial approaches? What explains these differences and similarities?

 

Question 3: Spanish, French, and Dutch Colonies in America

            America is one of the blessed lands with resources essential for trade and other economic factors. The Dutch, French, and Spanish powers established colonies in America due to their specific missions and interest. The imperial powers moved to America to satisfy the economic needs of their people. French, Dutch, and Spanish motivational factors such as market, the spread of Christianity, and gold attracted the imperial powers, although they had similarities and differences in approach.

The Spanish, French, and Dutch had motivational factors that facilitated the establishment of colonies in the Americas. Through their leader Columbus, the Spanish sought fame and fortune that made them build a fort in 1565 at St. Augustine in Florida (National Geographic Society, 2021). St. Augustine is one of the places with permanent settlement of the Europeans in America. Also, the Spanish were motivated by the availability of gold in the parts of America that finally made the country rich more so due to the gold and silver deposits in South America (National Geographic Society, 2021). Search for fame drove most of the Americas colonies to take parts of America and make settlements in their territories. Jacques Cartier held North America for France because of the need for trading posts for their never-ending demand for furs (Candela & Geloso, 2021). The French wanted to benefit from beaver furs and searched the market for the French goods. The economic promise motivated the Dutch because it was a naval powerhouse, controlled trade, and became the global commercial center (National Geographic Society, 2021). The Dutch were able to control trade as per their mission and established settlements in parts of America. The original goal of the Spanish was to spread Christianity and convert the Native Americans; the French wanted to get a business opportunity and market for their goods, such as fur, while Dutch wanted room for economic activities (National Graphic Society, 2021). America was an excellent place for making settlements and conducting business.

The institutional structures of early colonial establishments involved local administration. According to Anderson & Killingray (2017), early institutional structures involved local administration controlling economic issues such as wages paid to the local residents and community expenses on their resources. The local administration body monitored the financial processes and gave measures to the economic situations. The government and political life of the first colonial establishments had systematic laws to facilitate integrity in the economic conditions (Anderson & Killingray, 2017). The government and political life provided guidelines for marketing since trade was the central issue in the early colonial period. The regulations they enforced were used in trade, and authority and accountability were observed in police concentration against crime.

The imperial powers established their colonies based on their targets and mission for settlement. According to the National Geographic Society (2021), the Dutch, French, and Spanish established their colonies in North America and Southern America. Southern America was the central place the imperial powers established their colonies. The imperial powers established their colonies in North America and Southern America due to the search for resources such as gold and silver (National Geographic Society, 2021). Gold and search for markets were the main reasons for establishing colonies in South America. Based on similarity, Spanish and Dutch conquered the claimed parts, and the French and Spanish used the mission as a colonial approach through the spread of Christianity and search for a market for fur (National Geographic Society, 2021). The imperial powers had a different approach to their ruling patterns and practice in making settlements (National Geographic Society, 2021). The differences and similarities explain how the imperial powers used the opportunity; for example, the Spanish attracted more Americans to spread Christianity as the French look for a market for their fur. Therefore, the imperial colonies had different missions.  

In conclusion, French, Dutch, and Spanish were attracted by America's goals, market, and spread of Christianity mission. The Spanish targeted America’s resources such as gold and silver with an original mission of spreading Christianity by converting the Native Americans to Christianity. French searched for the market for their Fur. The Dutch wanted to have control over markets since trade was the main issue during colonial periods. The French and Spanish used Mission as an approach while Dutch Conquered. Their missions in colonizing America explain the differences and similarities in their ways of approach. Therefore, the imperial powers original missions were the motivating factors in colonizing America.