Why did european countries colonize the americas and set up forts in africa and south and southeast asia in the 15th and 16th centuries ?

To obtain their natural wealth, slaves and own lands/colonies Europeans were able to take over the Americas in the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries because the Americas were an undiscovered part of the world, so they were practically defenseless because they did not expect to be conjured or even discovered.

Hope this help:)

norsemen from northern countries had made earlier journeys

mickey : )

explanation:

why not?