After the discovery of the Americas and the inhabitants of its lands, many empires sought to explore its potential. Of the many empires that were interested, the two most notable were the Spanish and French. Although they arrived at different times, both empires shared their similarities and differences when it came to their purpose of exploring the people and land of the Americas. The Spanish first discovered the Americas in 1493, when Christopher Columbus stumbled upon it while looking for a route to Asia. When they arrived in the Americas, they were welcomed by the Native Americans. However, the Natives and Spanish were curious and welcoming to one another, but had a misunderstanding which led to tensions rising. Later with time, the Spanish