What was the main reason the French explored the new world? Same question for the Spanish. Was it to build colonies, find gold or conquer the indians?

You can make quite a long list of why man explores anywhere. In the end

exploring extends the boundaries of our knowledge. As a species we have the capacity to dream, come up with goals, and attempt to reach them.

Very philosophical!

There are often other drivers which can be the need to fund the exploration (find gold) and the process of exploration which involves having a base to work from (i.e. new colonies).

Hope this helps.

Here are a number of sites with interesting information on reasons for exploration.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=reason%2C+French+exploration%2C+New+World&btnG=Google+Search&aq=f&oq=

What is the Home state of Samuel Adams and Richard Henry and John Adams and Ben Franklin and Robert Livingston?

The main reasons the French and the Spanish explored the New World were actually quite similar, yet with some distinct differences.

For the French, the primary motive for exploration was to establish profitable trading routes. French explorers, such as Jacques Cartier and Samuel de Champlain, sought to find a northwest passage to Asia for trade purposes. They aimed to find new routes to the lucrative spice trade, as well as establish fishing and fur trading industries. The French were interested in establishing colonies, but their main focus was on economic gain through trade rather than conquering indigenous populations.

On the other hand, the Spanish had multiple motivations for exploring the New World. First and foremost, they were driven by a desire for wealth and prestige. The Spanish conquistadors, such as Christopher Columbus, Hernán Cortés, and Francisco Pizarro, were in search of gold, silver, and other valuable resources. They sought to plunder the riches of the indigenous civilizations they encountered, such as the Aztecs and the Incas. While the Spanish did establish colonies, their main goal was to exploit the resources and labor of the indigenous peoples, leading to the establishment of a vast Spanish empire in the Americas.

In summary, the French explored the New World primarily for economic reasons, particularly trade and resource extraction, whereas the Spanish were largely motivated by wealth accumulation, including the conquest of indigenous civilizations and the extraction of gold and silver.