There were three major causes of European exploration and colonization.

• Religion: As the Spanish and Portuguese added territories, they established Catholicism as the dominant religion in Latin American countries, bringing their way of worship to native populations. Others emigrated from the Old World in order to worship freely. After the Protestant Reformation, many religious sects formed in response and were persecuted. Seeking freedom of religion, they came to the New World. In the 1600s, French Huguenots fled religious persecution in France, settling all over the world; many came to the 13 colonies.
• Natural resources: A primary reason for exploration and colonization was to gain access to raw materials that had become depleted and agricultural products that could not be produced in European countries. These included fur and timber from North America, tobacco from the American south, spices and tea from Asia, and sugar and coffee from the Caribbean and Latin America. These resources fed growing European economies. It was possible to make enormous profits from their manufacture and sale.
• Market for goods: Another reason for adding territories was the perception and reality of new markets. Colonists were often captive consumers of European goods. External trade was frequently controlled by the mother country, and often colonists were kept from developing their own manufacturing bases.