The early explorers in North America founded settlements and named them after places or people from their home country. They often added the word new to the town or city name from their home country. This is why we have place names such as New Hampshire and New England in North America. The places they are named after tell you where in Europe the explorers came from. For example, British settlers named the state of New Hampshire after the English county called Hampshire. Spanish explorers named many settlements after Catholic saints. For example, San Francisco was named after Saint Francis of Assisi, a twelfth-century Catholic priest.

Make a list of places (states, regions, or towns) whose names show similar connections. Make sure you find at least three to four places that show a connection to each of the three nations—Spain, France, and England.

You can start your research with these resources:

Maps of North America
French Place Names in the United States
Spanish Place Names in the United States
The New England Colonies
US Colonial History