After the travels of Magellan proved that you could cross the Atlantic and Pacific to reach Asia, other nations began to look for other water routes to Asia. Most believed that their was a “Northwest Passage” through North America that could be a shortcut. The French were the first to look for this. In 524 Giovanni da Verrazzano landed in New York Harbor. Jacques Cartier found the St. Lawrence River and sailed it down to modern day Montreal, Canada. Others, such as Samuel de Champlain and Sieur de La Salle explored and claimed the northern and central portions of North America for the French.

While the French had taken over a lot of land, they didn’t have many people living there. Only a few traders, fur trappers, and missionaries actually lived in the region. The main French goal was still not to take North America, but to find a water passage to Asia.

In the late 1500’s England was still a smaller country struggling to gain wealth. A sailor named Francis Drake helped. Drake was given the job of a privateer. A privateer was basically a pirate who worked for a country, in this case England. Drake constantly attacked and stole from large Spanish treasure ships travelling from North America to Europe. The exploits of Drake helped England rise in wealth and begin a colonization process of its own.

Unlike the previous nations in the Americas, the English believed they could get rich in America, without moving on to Asia. They set up their first permanent colony in Jamestown in 1607 (in what is currently the state of Virginia). While the colony struggled while looking for gold, it was eventually able to make money by growing and selling Tobacco.

Other colonists left England and came to America for religious reasons. The Pilgrims and Puritans were groups that left England to escape religious persecution. They settled in what is modern day Massachusetts and the surrounding areas.

The Dutch also began to start colonies in North America. Henry Hudson claimed the area around what is modern day New York state in 1609. Unfortunately for the Dutch, not many settlers came to live in the colonies and they opened the land to other settlers. Eventually the English took over all Dutch colonies.

Because lots of money was to be made in the colonies, the European nations struggled for control of the New World lands. Fighting took place between the English and French in North America in what would be called the French and Indian War by the British. In addition, once more and more colonists began to arrive, the Natives were not as happy to trade and befriend these new people who were taking their land. Wars broke out between English settlers and Natives, as the Natives were driven further and further west. Natives also began to die of diseases that were brought by the European settlers.