When Columbus asked the king to finance his voyages to the New World, Spain was doing well economically. Spain's goal was to get rich through trade, the king agreed with Columbus that the New World would be an excellent investment to get rich through trade. Between 1500 and 1650, gold and silver were sent to Spain from the New World. Spain began to see promise in the New World. Once America started producing goods, England made more profits. America was economically diverse, from livestock to fishing to skilled shipbuilders. Colonists adapted to environmental changes, created different economies, work systems, and worshiped in different churches. Immigrants began coming to the New World to prosper with the opportunity to enrich themselves or even to gain religious freedom. Up until the Civil War all of these factors continued to occur