The colonies were seen this way because they needed to expand their land. Doing these days and like the days we live in now, land has always shown to be the true value of power or control. Knowing this have the power of a particular land mass gives you the control of the people who habitate there. This in essence mean that the power gives you control of what business can operate on that land and giving that the british had to expand business means the had to conquer new found land.
