French and Dutch colonists created many new trade routes and discovered new land. At that time the fur trade was very important and the French were the masters in finding new trade routes. Dutch relied very much on powerful corporations like the Dutch West India Company founded in 1621 to colonize and trade in the Americas. An English captain discovered New York habor and the river that has his name (Hudson river). He was employed by the Dutch East Indian company. Religious competition fueled colonization and promote colonization. French were Catholic, English were protestant and Dutch were mostly protestant but some were Catholic.