Colonies and Empires : The 16th Century

The 16th century saw the Portuguese and the Spaniards establish important and profitable empires in India, Africa and America. Other countries in Europe seemed little interested. Corsairs, such as Feury de Honfleur and Francis Drake, attacked the Spanish treasure-ships, but both France and England were preoccupied by problems nearer to home. Although Jacques Cartier had reached Labrador in 1534 and had tried to establish settlements along the St. Lawrence, but by 1545 there were no Frenchmen left in North America. The English attempt to found a colony in North America, in 1588 at Roanoke had failed.

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