- When we think of exploring new worlds today, we imagine discovering galaxies, blasting off into space, or even traveling to Mars.

We explore because we're curious, there's a need in all of us to know more.

But 600 years ago, exploring new worlds meant crossing the Atlantic Ocean.

During this age of exploration, several European countries including Spain and England, were on a quest to discover and claim new lands.

Though each country had its own specific reasons for exploration, they all shared the same desire, build a large empire that would create global, political, and economic dominance.

In their endeavors, they would heavily influence North America and help shape what would eventually become the state of Georgia.

(inquisitive music) In the 16th and 17th centuries, products from the Far East, places like India and China were all the rage in Europe.

We're talking spices, silk tea, and gems but the Europeans had a problem.

Muslim countries, which had a history of conflict with Christian European nations, controlled the trade routes connecting Europe and Asia.

European nations wanted a direct way to get these goods, so that meant they needed to find a new route.

Back then, most Europeans believed the world was made up of just three continents, Europe, Africa, and Asia.

Portugal led the way in finding a new route by sailing around Africa.

But others wondered, could you reach the Far East by sailing west?

That's where Christopher Columbus came in.

In 1492, with the support of Spain, he set sail across the Atlantic Ocean.

After several weeks at sea, he and his crew finally sighted land.

Thinking they had reached the Indies, land in and around the Indian Ocean, Columbus called the native people there, Indians.

But it turns out he wasn't in the Indies at all, Columbus and his companions had reached the western hemisphere.

Suddenly the race was on, European countries scrambled to explore, claim, and control as much of this New World as possible.

After all, more land met more power.

Portugal and Spain were the first to dive in, but England quickly followed suit.

Spain claimed huge parts of the Americas, including present day southeastern United States, and focused on what became known as the three G's.

Gold, to find riches for Spain's treasury, God, to convert indigenous people to Christianity, and glory, to gain fame and expand Spain's empire.

Spain called the southeastern region, La Florida.

The first Spanish explorer to set foot here was Juan Ponce de León in 1513.

But it was Hernando de Soto who truly made an impact in exploring the Americas, he was a conquistador, a conqueror.

In 1539, he let the first European expedition deep into the territory of the modern day United States.

He, along with more than 600 men, cross through Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Mississippi, and most likely Arkansas in search of gold.

So what did they find?

Not gold, not glory, but disease, starvation, and resistance from indigenous people.

De Soto's journey was a disaster.

Nearly half his men died, including De Soto himself.

Even worse, they brutalized native people, and the expedition brought deadly diseases that devastated entire indigenous communities.

It's estimated that De Soto's expedition resulted in the death of thousands of Native people, still Spain wasn't done.

It sent soldiers and Catholic missionaries, or people who promote their faith to build churches known as missions.

Their goal was to convert native people to Catholicism.

The Spanish missions, especially those in Georgia's barrier islands, became the heart of Spain's colonization plan.

For the first time, there was an established European presence in what is now Georgia.

Spanish missions were often built on and along the barrier islands, near native villages.

These missions were places where native people were introduced to Spain's religion, language, and way of life.

As a result, many indigenous customs and traditions began to disappear.

In addition to their religious purpose, Spanish missions became economic centers where native peoples and Spanish settlers exchanged goods.

While Spain built missions and continued to search for gold, England decided to join the race for North America.

It also wanted to expand its powers, but the English took a different approach when it came to this new land, Establish permanent colonies.

To support England's claim to land in the New World, King James I pointed to the earlier voyages of English explorer John Cabot in 1497 and 1498.

King James I also wanted power and glory, so he came up with a plan to start colonies or permanent settlements in new lands controlled by their home country.

So in 1606 King James I gave a charter, an official document from the King to a group of merchants who form the Virginia Company.

Their goal start a colony in North America.

In December 1606, three small ships left England carrying Virginia's first settlers.

When they arrived in the new land, the leaders chose a spot along the James River to build their settlement, they named it Jamestown in honor of King James I. This would become England's first permanent settlement in the Americas.

So why was England so eager to create colonies?

One reason was competition.

Other countries like Spain and France were already claiming land and growing their power.

England didn't want to be left behind, by building permanent colonies, England could gain more control and increase its influence.

Another big reason was money.

Colonies had the potential to bring in valuable resources that would boost England's economy.

At the time, England was following a policy called mercantilism, an idea that a country should become rich and self-sufficient by selling more goods than it bought from other countries.

But England was a small island with limited resources and a climate that wasn't great for growing certain crops.

To succeed under mercantilism, England needed access to raw materials, and the best way to get them was through colonies.

North America seemed like the perfect place to get food and other important goods.

These colonies would also buy goods made in England, which would help English businesses grow.

Even though Jamestown had a rough start, it eventually became successful thanks to one plant, tobacco.

It grew well in Virginia, it was a big hit in Europe.

Tobacco became a key part of England's economy and showed that colonies could work.

This success encouraged more English settlers and investors to get involved in building new colonies.

But there were other reasons for colonization aside from power and wealth, some wealthy people in England believed the country had too many poor and unemployed citizens.

They hoped the colonies could give these people a fresh start and reduce England's poverty and crime rates.

Religious freedom was another major motivation.

Groups like the Puritans who wanted to change the Church of England and the separatists who wanted to break away and start their own churches, were not treated fairly at home.

They saw the colonies as a place where they could worship freely.

For all these reasons, combined with the success of the colony of Virginia, interest and colonization continued to grow.

One supporter of the idea was James Oglethorpe, a member of Great Britain's Parliament.

In 1732, Oglethorpe helped convince King George II to approve a new colony south of the Savannah River.

That colony would become Georgia, the 13th and final British colony.

By this time, Spanish missions had crumbled, and soon an entirely new nation would emerge.

So why does all this matter?

The explorations of Spain and England weren't just about gold, glory, or finding faster trade routes.

They set up the stage for the world we live in today.

These early decisions, discoveries, and even mistakes shaped the map of North America, drastically impacted the lives of indigenous people and led to the founding of the colonies that would one day become the United States.

(powerful music)