Final answer:
The Dutch and French established their North American colonies primarily for economic reasons, focusing on trade, especially in furs, rather than on religious conversion or settlement like the Spanish.
Step-by-step explanation:
The original reason the Dutch and French established colonies in North America was predominantly for economic reasons promoting trade. The Dutch, who were interested in becoming an economic powerhouse, engaged in legitimate trade and at times even resorted to piracy and smuggling to assert their trade dominance, particularly in the Caribbean. In contrast to the Spanish practice of establishing large settlement colonies, the Dutch and French colonial models were largely commercial and revolved around trade, with the fur trade being particularly significant for both New France (French colonies) and New Netherland (Dutch colonies).
The Dutch East India Company held vast powers, including the ability to establish colonies, punish criminals, negotiate treaties, and wage war. The purpose of granting monopolies on foreign trade to companies like the Dutch East India Company was to prevent competition among merchants. For the French, colonizing the Americas, especially in areas like present-day Canada, involved hunting for furs and fishing, and while there were some attempts at religious conversion by Catholic priests such as the Jesuits, this was not the main goal of French colonization.