THE HISTORY OF COLONIAL NORTH AMERICA centers
primarily around the struggle of England, France, and
Spain to gain control of the continent. Settlers
crossed the Atlantic for different reasons, and their
governments took different approaches to their colonizing
efforts. These differences created both advantages
and disadvantages that profoundly affected the
New World’s fate. France and Spain, for instance,
were governed by autocratic sovereigns whose rule
was absolute; their colonists went to America as servants
of the Crown. The English colonists, on the
other hand, enjoyed far more freedom and were able
to govern themselves as long as they followed English
law and were loyal to the king. In addition, unlike
France and Spain, England encouraged immigration
from other nations, thus boosting its colonial population.
By 1763 the English had established dominance
in North America, having defeated France and Spain
in the French and Indian War. However, those
regions that had been colonized by the French or
Spanish would retain national characteristics that
linger to this day
