Compare and contrast Spanish exploration of the Caribbean and British exploration of North America.

This question requires that candidates give an account of the similarities and differences between the Spanish exploration of the Caribbean and the British exploration of North America, referring to both areas throughout. The aim of the British and Spanish explorations was to find a new route to Asia. The rulers of both countries permitted the explorations (with some limited funding), and both explorations were organized by companies that had to largely finance their own voyages. For contrast, candidates may argue that while the Spanish exploration arrived in areas with a more substantial indigenous population and used indigenous labour, the British reached areas with thinly dispersed populations. Therefore, the Spanish established closer contact with the indigenous peoples. Candidates may conclude that Spanish exploration was more successful as they established colonies. Both similarities and differences must be clearly indicated but allow for some imbalance between the number of comparisons and contrasts made.