Why did Spain colonize the new world before other European Countries?

Answer 1

Spain was not weakened by conflicts with other countries.

Spain was able to colonize the new world before other countries because they were the first to

1. Realize the continent was there, and,

2. Know the route to get there.

Don't forget that news traveled very slowly in the 15th century. Not only that but navigation was a science limited to only a few people.

Had a common sailor gone directly to a competing country with news of the discovery it would have taken him months to make the trip and then recount his tale to someone in a position to use the information. And then what? He couldn't tell anybody where it was because he didn't know.

The navigator (Columbus) knew where he had been and how he got there. But he extracted promises of titles and property from the Spanish crown and was not about to lose all his hard won profits by sharing his information.

The news of the discovery was slow to circulate and the information on how to get there was even slower to circulate. The end result was that Spain had a several year head start on everybody else.

Portugal, geographically tied to Spain, was the second to act. They were already in competition with Spain for trade with Asia, and had pioneered the sea route around Africa. But the Treaty of Tordesillas (1494) "allocated" much of the New World exclusively to Spain, while Portugal did establish a colony in Brazil.