The journey west was hard, but it didn't stop people from wanting to discover and claim new lands, so explorers kept traveling to the New World.
Spanish and Portuguese settlements grew more established in Mexico and in Central and South America. Other nations looked to the rest of North America. Early on, many explorers still hoped to find the coveted sea route to China called the Northwest Passage. As time passed, no such route was found, but they did find other valuable things. The New World proved to be rich in natural resources.
