What caused Spain to explore and colonize the Americas? What was one effect of that exploration?

The story of North American exploration spans an entire millennium andinvolves a wide array of European powers and uniquely American characters. It began with the Vikings’ brief stint in Newfoundland circa 1000 A. D. and continued through England’s colonization of the Atlantic coast in the 17th century, which laid the foundation for the United States of America. The centuries following the European arrivals would see the culmination of this effort, as Americans pushed westward across the continent, enticed by the lure of riches, open land and a desire to fufill the nation’s manifest destiny.