Episode three of the Understanding America podcast delves into early European colonization efforts in North America, drawing from Tony Horvitz’s book "A Voyage Long and Strange". The discussion contrasts the differing approaches of the French, Spanish, and English during the 16th century. Initially, French Huguenots—seeking both religious refuge and a stake in the New World—attempted to establish colonies along the Atlantic coast and in Florida. Despite their comparatively diplomatic methods, which included naming rivers and erecting monuments to mark their discoveries, their efforts were undermined by harsh environmental conditions, lack of agricultural expertise, and eventual Spanish military reprisals. Pedro Menéndez’s Spanish forces eventually secured Florida, establishing St. Augustine and inflicting severe losses on French settlers. The discussion then shifts focus to English ambitions. Influenced by privateering and motivated by both economic opportunity and national prestige, figures like John Hawkins, Sir Humphrey Gilbert, and Sir Walter Raleigh spearheaded reconnaissance and colonization missions. Their expeditions, marked by piracy, internal conflicts, and logistical challenges, culminated in the establishment—and subsequent mysterious disappearance—of the Roanoke Colony, setting the stage for ongoing debates about early American origins.