▁came ▁at ▁a ▁time ▁in ▁which ▁many ▁technical ▁develop ments ▁in ▁sail ing ▁techniques ▁and ▁communication ▁made ▁it ▁possible ▁to ▁report ▁his ▁voy ages ▁easily ▁and ▁to ▁spread ▁word ▁of ▁them ▁throughout ▁Europe . ▁It ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁time ▁of ▁growing ▁religious , ▁imperial ▁and ▁economic ▁rival ries ▁that ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁competition ▁for ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁colon ies . ▁ ▁Col onial ▁period ▁▁ 1 5 th ▁to ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁colon ies ▁in ▁the ▁New ▁World : ▁Spanish ▁colon ization ▁of ▁the ▁Amer icas ▁( 1 4 9 2 ) ▁Vic ero yal ty ▁of ▁New ▁Spain ▁( 1 5 3 5 ▁to ▁ 1 8 2 1 ) ▁Vic ero yal ty ▁of ▁Peru ▁( 1 5 4 2 – 1 8 2 4 ) ▁Spanish ▁Main ▁Spanish ▁West ▁Ind ies ▁Captain cy ▁General ▁of ▁Gu atem ala ▁British ▁America ▁/ ▁Th ir teen ▁Col on ies ▁( 1 4 9 7 / 1 5 8 4 / 1 6 0 7 ▁to ▁ 1 7 7 6 / 2 0 th ▁century ) ▁Dan ish ▁West ▁Ind ies ▁New ▁Nether land ▁New ▁France ▁Captain cy ▁General ▁of ▁Venezuela ▁Portuguese ▁colon ization ▁of ▁the ▁Amer icas ▁( 1 4 9 9 ▁to ▁ 1 8 2 2 ) ▁Col onial ▁Brazil ▁( 1 5 0 0 ▁to ▁ 1 8 1 5 ) ▁ ▁Dec ol on ization ▁ ▁The ▁formation ▁of ▁so ver eign ▁states ▁in ▁the ▁New ▁World ▁began ▁with ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Dec laration ▁of