<P> Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés took over the Aztec Kingdom and Francisco Pizarro conquered the Inca Empire . As a result, by the mid-16th century, the Spanish Crown had gained control of much of western South America, and southern North America, in addition to its earlier Caribbean territories . Over this same timeframe, Portugal claimed lands in North America (Canada) and colonized much of eastern South America, naming it Santa Cruz and Brazil . </P> <P> Other European nations soon disputed the terms of the Treaty of Tordesillas . England and France attempted to plant colonies in the Americas in the 16th century, but these failed . England and France succeeded in establishing permanent colonies in the following century, along with the Dutch Republic . Some of these were on Caribbean islands, which had often already been conquered by the Spanish or depopulated by disease, while others were in eastern North America, which had not been colonized by Spain north of Florida . </P> <P> Early European possessions in North America included Spanish Florida, Spanish New Mexico, the English colonies of Virginia (with its North Atlantic offshoot, Bermuda) and New England, the French colonies of Acadia and Canada, the Swedish colony of New Sweden, and the Dutch New Netherland . In the 18th century, Denmark--Norway revived its former colonies in Greenland, while the Russian Empire gained a foothold in Alaska . Denmark - Norway would later make several claims in the Caribbean, starting in the 1600s . </P> <P> As more nations gained an interest in the colonization of the Americas, competition for territory became increasingly fierce . Colonists often faced the threat of attacks from neighboring colonies, as well as from indigenous tribes and pirates . </P>

Where did the three major european powers establish their settlements in north america