Which of the following was the strongest motivation for the European powers, such as England and France, to explore and make territorial claims in the Americas? Catholic rulers feared the potential of a massive Protestant empire to crush their own empire and faith. They witnessed and felt threatened by the growing value of Spain's colonial economy and trade. It was the only way to protect their shipping and trade with the native populations in the New World. Monarchs saw the opportunity to incorporate thousands of American Indians as taxpaying citizens.

It was the only way to protect their shipping and trade with the native populations in the New World - third choice

Option B. One of the strongest motivation for the European powers, such as England and France, to explore and make territorial claims in the Americas was that they witnessed and felt threatened by the growing value of Spain's colonial economy and trade.

Explanation:

The European colonization of the Americas began in 1492 when the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus landed, by mistake, in what was going to be known as "The New World". Although Italian by birth, Columbus was sponsored to do his voyage by the Spanish crown, and after his first trip to the new continent, a series of other Spanish travelers started to colonize different regions of America. This gave Spain a huge growing value based on trade and a new way of economic ruling, and sooner than later other powers of Europe like England and France decided it was their time to conquer some of the New World, so that their own power would not be diminished by the Spanish's conquering wave. In the end, England and France were mainly settled in what is now known as North America, while Spain controlled the rest of the region.