With the conquest of Mexico in the year 1522, the Spanish solidified their position in the Western Hemisphere, the following discoveries added the knowledge.
And what is the origin of the name America? America was named after Amerigo Vespucci , who wrote a popular book of his voyages into the New World (1499-1502). Vespucci had explored the coast of South America – and deduced that the New World must be a continent which is not a part of Asia, but in that times nobody believed him.

Another funny story is concerned with the name Francisco Coronado, he set from Mexico (1540) went on up to the Grand Canyon. Unfortunately their horses escaped . That is how the Indians learned to know horses. The mustangs descended from small horses from Africa, an untainted mustang is called a bronco.
While the Spanish were pushing from the South Europe, they wanted to conquere America. In the year 1578 – Humprey Gilbert the author of the study called New World, had waited for 5 years to sail, but he was so anxious to sail, after waiting so long he died.
Ironically, his half-brother Walter Raleigh sailed (1585) and established the 1st British colony in NA (N Carolina) on the Roanoke Island, but it disappeared (1607). Only Jamestown survived – NA entered a new era.

There was a great stream of immigration , first English settled the North America, afterwards the Spaniards conquered the territory of Mexico, and the area of Caribic up to South America.

Europeans escaped because of political suppressions, to seek for freedom, to practice their religion, economic opportunities denied in their countries – ACTIVE OPPORTUNITY.

During the years 1620-1635 economic problems swept England and contributed to immigration. The settlers wouldn’t survive without Indian help (pumpkin, squash, been, corn). Although the New Continent was in doubt, because they couldn’t produce timber, and other strategic products , however, the New England had prospering harbors for transport.

The early settlements were mostly near the rivers, providing transport for goods – Hudson East (New York), Delaware, Potomac River (Virginia, Washington D. C.).
Another point for immigration were the political considerations, English Subjects went to America round the year 1630 , when the reign of Charles I. stimulated the protestants immigrate to America.
In 1640 cavaliers leave England for Virginia, as well as German speaking protestants left. Besides the English it were also, Irish, Scots, German, Dutch, Swedes, Poles, French, who left their mother countries.
Companies such as Virginia Company helped to explore immigration to America.

2. Colonial Period

2.1 New England
Most settlers who came to America in the 17th century, also stayed in the New England. It had nearly the same weather as in Europe, it was quite civilized. Although it did not provide a soil for farming, the harbors were a great opportunity how to make a living. New England shippers soon discovered, too, that rum and slaves were profitable commodities. Merchants and shippers would purchase slaves off the coast of Africa for New England rum, then sell the slaves in the West Indies.
The New England was for that times in America the most comfortable place to live. The first immigrants in New England brought their own little libraries and continued to import books from London. In 1639 the first printing press in the English colonies and the second in North America was installed at Harvard College.

2.2 The Middle Colonies
Society in the middle colonies was far more varied, cosmopolitan and tolerant than in New England. In many ways, Pennsylvania and Delaware owed their initial success to William Penn. Under his guidance, Pennsylvania functioned smoothly and grew rapidly. The heart of the colony was Philadelphia. The talent of the people living there for successful business enterprise made the city one of the thriving centers of colonial America. The Pennsylvania became a home of Quakers, Germans, Irish, Scots.

As well as Pennsylvania, New York was also a multicultural colony. By 1646 the population along the Hudson river, included Dutch, French, English, Irish, Scots, Germans, Poles, Bohemians, Portuguese and Italians.
2.3 The Southern Colonies
In contrast to New England and Middle Colonies were the predominantly rural southern settlements – Virginia, Maryland, N and S Carolina and of course Georgia.
By he late 17th century, Virginia´s and Maryland´s economic and social structure rested on the great planters and yeoman farmers. The planters lived on a slave’s labor, held most of the political power and the best land. They lived like the European aristocracy, the only thing which made them different was the place they had lived.

Charleston, S Carolina, became the leading port and trading center of the South. There the settlers quickly learned to combine agriculture and commerce. The forests of the South provided the best shipbuilding materials in the world.
German immigrants and Scots- Irish, unwilling to live in the original tidewater settlements where English influence was strong, were moving inland, in the 1730s they were pouring into the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Soon many farms were here.
Living in the neighborhood with Indians, some of the settlers built cabins and decided to move in the wilderness and cultivate maize and wheat. They had their own amusements – great barbecues, dance, housewarmings for newly married couples, shooting matches and contests for making quilted blankets. Quilt remain an American tradition.