Which is worse? The first settlers (16th–17th centuries) can technically be considered immigrants as they moved from one land to another for permanent residence. However, they are more precisely defined as colonists or settlers, as they came to establish new, autonomous societies and implement their own laws, rather than joining an existing nation. History.com +2 Key distinctions and nuances include: Settlers vs. Immigrants: While modern immigrants typically move to a place with an established legal system and assimilate into it, early European settlers (Spanish, British, Dutch, French) aimed to displace, replace, or dominate the existing indigenous systems. Still shying away from the inconvenient truth of slavery, I see.
