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The discovery and exploration of North America caused great
excitement among the seafaring people of Europe. They
looked upon America as a New World, as a ``land of
opportunity.'' Most of all, they saw it as a source of
marvelous treasures. Many of the leading European nations
were eager to get the valuable furs, important minerals,
and other useful natural resources of North America, so
they could grow rich and powerful. They dreamed especially
of discovering huge fortunes in gold, silver, and precious
gems.
The Spanish were the first in the rush to claim some of the
riches of North America. They established the first
permanent North American fort at St. Augustine, Florida, ...