[jjk166]

At the time, the Spanish were completely unaware that Columbus would find a land that could be settled. The goal of the expedition was finding a route to East Asia to establish trade with those known-to-be-inhabited areas. Colonization was a pivot after Columbus did not find Asia.

[namaria]

Also colonization didn't start in earnest until several decades later. For a generation or two the exploitation of the Americas was largely extractive.