Answer:
England first viewed the colonies as a way to get rich through the exploitation of the natural resources of their territories.
Step-by-step explanation:
At first, England, like the other European colonial powers, had as its main motivation for establishing colonies the exploitation of colonial territories. This, within the framework of mercantilism, served to enlarge the coffers of the Crown, although at the expense of the loss of valuable resources by the colonies, which only saw a tiny part of the benefits, while the great fortunes crossed the Atlantic towards London.