Contrary to popular belief, the Spanish, Dutch, French, and British traveled to North and South Americas in search of new capital, not exploration and adventure. They were looking for gold, silver, and farmlands, so they could send precious metals and crops back to their home countries.
Originally, the newcomers took over mines built by native populations and enslaved the said populations to extract gold and silver for free. By doing so, the colonizers could meet their desires for high profit with low labor costs because the enslaved workers were not receiving any rewards.
In fact, it was quite the opposite since they were treated with violence and brutality and subjected to harsh punishments if they were unable to mine the required amount of metal.