Mostly: Classical

[KastelCo]

By contrast, Spanish and French settlements were ventures of the kings, and in the main quickly disappeared

LOL... Not quite the complete picture there Michael. Of course we know the French Colonies thrived in the North despite their stupid king or Canadian politics would be oh so much simpler.

It has as much to do with the type and goals of the immigrants as anything else and is certainly not simply a case of the triumph of free markets. In the North Americas most people came to stay while the Spanish mostly came to visit ;o)

regards,
Kastel
A cute and cuddly Canadian