Each colony was granted a type of charter, or contract, from the King of England, which allowed its people to remain in the area. Royal, proprietary, and joint-stock were the three most common types of charters given to those looking to colonize the New World in the name of the mother country
The reason European countries wanted more colonies was that colonies helped countries accumulate wealth and power. ... Having more land also gave a country more global power and allowed them to establish strategic military positions across the world
Historians generally recognize three motives for European exploration and colonization in the New World: God, gold, and glory.
