Reply to Why did Canada and the US thrive compared to Spanish/Portuguese former colonies in the Americas?

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[quote=Anonymous]The US and Canada benefited from inheriting the British economic and political systems, which were more liberal and democratic than the Spanish and Portuguese systems, encouraging responsive governments and industry.

They also benefited from (mostly) friendly relations with the British Empire during the Victorian age, when Britain was the most advanced country in the world and the British navy ruled the seas. This made it easy for US ships to trade.

The British colonies were mostly settled with the intent of their colonists actually living there permanently, as opposed to simply exploiting resources, though Canada was most about the fur trade.  By the time of the American Revolution, US citizens were already among the wealthiest and most educated in the world, even though the country was brand new. The Spanish and Portuguese were mostly interested in setting up plantations, enslaving the locals and plundering resources.

Some countries, like Argentina, Venezuela, Cuba, would have been wealthy if not for their embrace of ill-considered socialist governments.[/quote]

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