Civilized men first went to England nearly twenty centuries ago, but
since Columbus discovered America only four centuries have passed.
Each of these four centuries has a character of its own and is quite
unlike the others. The first was the time of exploring, the second of
colonizing, the third of deciding who should rule in America, and the
fourth of growth and development.
During the first century explorers from France, England, and Spain
visited the New World, each claiming for his own country the part that
he explored. Each hoped to find gold, but only the Spaniards, who went
to Mexico and Peru, were successful. There was little thought of
making settlements, and at the end of the first century the Spanish
colonies of St. Augustine and Santa Fe were the only ones on the
mainland of what is now the territory of the United States.
During the second century much colonizing was done. The French settled
chiefly along the Saint Lawrence River; the English settled along the
Atlantic coast of North America; the Spanish in Mexico and South
America; the Dutch by the Hudson River; the Swedes by the Delaware.
The European nations discovered that it was worth while to have
American colonies.
During the third century there was a long struggle to see which nation
should rule in America. England and France were far ahead of the
others, but which of them should it be? The French and Indian Wars
gave the answer, "England.
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