Julie Doan
Taylor 4˚

In the seventeenth century, along with many other countries, both the English and Spanish colonies had developed settlements of their own in the New World. The English settlements in New England were considered quite disparate compared to the Spanish settlements in the Southwest. These differences can be portrayed though the English and Spanish religious views as well as their economic structures due to the fact that they acquired religions based on entirely different systems and they utilized different tactics in economic development. England's population mostly consisted of Puritans and Separatists. When they left England for the New world, the Puritans and the Separatists had high hopes of religious freedom since the overbearing religion had controlled almost every aspect in their daily lives. The Puritans for example, hoped to practice their religious beliefs without the interference from England or the church hierarchy. With this, the Puritans established an autocratic and restrictive leadership. Separatists on the other hand, simply just wanted to disembody themselves from the Catholic Church. The Spanish on the other hand, had a religion that was less bearing in their daily lives and when they came over to the New World, they took on a much more assertive position. They wanted to gain more people to support Catholicism and show that it was the true religion. In 1565, the Spanish erected their first fortress at St. Augustine in Florida forcing the natives to convert to Catholicism. Without a doubt, the English settlements benefitted the colonists economically. The English prospered through fur trade and other industries that produced raw materials. The abundance of natural