Early Exploration.

English exploration and settlement of the Atlantic seaboard of North America began at the end of the sixteenth century. This development followed Spanish and French exploration during the sixteenth century into the area the English would call Carolina. Poor planning, natural disasters, and distance from more-populated settlements drove the Spanish and French back to the Caribbean. Frustrated in their attempts to find gold and silver and to establish staging areas for further exploration, the French and Spanish turned their attention to other parts of the world. However, the English commitment to settle North America resulted in a thriving economy that eventually compensated for the early risks.

English Immigrants.

A variety of motives prompted 155,000 English immigrants to cross the Atlantic Ocean to settle the coast of North America during the seventeenth century. Social, political, religious, and economic factors influenced a wide variety of people to risk the...