Final answer:
The Spanish ruled their colonies with direct control from the mother country, the English developed self-governance, and the French and Dutch focused on trade, aiming to weaken Spanish dominance in the Americas.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Spanish, French, and English operated their American colonies with different approaches, reflecting their diverse objectives and the challenges posed by distance. The Spanish Crown governed with a direct rule, appointing peninsulares like viceroys and governors from the mother country to enforce laws from the Council of the Indies. Communication was slow, making this centralized control challenging.
The English settlers, influenced by their own self-governing traditions, formed legislatures and held town meetings. Often, they appointed their governors and made many of their own laws, developing a sense of autonomy early on. In contrast, the French and Dutch were more focused on trade and commerce. Their models of colonial administration were designed to weaken the Spanish influence and were less focused on direct political control, and more focused on economic interests and trade relations.
The French contested Spanish power by attempting to settle in Florida, and the Dutch engaged in piracy to economically undermine the Spanish. Colonial trade was a cornerstone of these European powers, with each utilising different labor systems and interacting with the indigenous populations in distinct ways. The result was a mosaic of colonial strategies that shaped the development of the New World.