Final answer:
The goals of the Spanish and English in establishing colonies in the Americas prior to 1700 were similar in their pursuit of economic gain through colonial trade.
Step-by-step explanation:
One important similarity between the goals of the Spanish and the English in establishing colonies in the Americas prior to 1700 was their pursuit of economic gain through colonial trade. Both nations sought to extract valuable resources from their colonies and establish trade networks that would benefit their mother countries. For example, the Spanish focused on mining gold and silver, while the British colonies produced valuable agricultural commodities like tobacco and indigo.