Explain how the following groups interacted with the geography and ecosystems of the New World. The Spanish – The French – The British in New England – The British in the Middle Colonies – The British in the Southern Colonies –

The Spanish - they colonized a larger territory than the French or the British, so they met a larger variety of geographical features, from the tall mountains of the Andes, to the Amazon Rainforest, to the deserts of Northern Mexico. The Spanish exploited the land where they went, obtaining very large amounts of gold and silver. They also, unlike the British or the French, mixed en masse with the Native Populations.

The French - they colonized some Caribbean Islands, Quebec, and some parts of the Central United States. In the Caribbean, the French established cash crop plantations, while in North America, colonization was very sparse, with only a few colonists dedicated mostly to either subsistance farming, or fur trading.

The British - In New England, mostly English Puritans settled, where they formed very close community under strict religious principles.

In the Middle Colonies, more open-minded colonies were founded, where several religions lived together.

In the South, the British formed plantation colonies much like the Caribbean colonies: cash crops were planted with the help of enslaved African Americans.