During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, many of the same attractions that drew Europeans to the New World motivated France, Spain, and England in their explorations of North America. Though the myths of fantastically wealthy kingdoms were fading, and the dream of an easy water passage to Asia seemed increasingly doubtful, the goals of conversion and of extending each country's influence across the sea remained. In fact, an important concern for each country was the presence and continued expansion of the other two in the New World.

By the late 1500s, Spain and England especially viewed each other warily in North America. The Spanish established military outposts and missions in the 1560s in and around the coast of Florida. In 1588 naval fleets of the two rivals met in the English Channel, with the English winning a decisive victory over the Spanish Armada. The English then...