Sure, It started off as imperialism, but when the americans found about the natives, they knew that they knew about the island well, some remedies for sicknesses on the island, and also the tobacco plant was found here. (Maybe drug abuse wouldn't be as bad if it wasn't for the english finding it?). So they thought they could be friends with the natives. It would double thier knowledge, and may have more of a chance of surviving should they catch a sickness. But it ended up in the 2 points i mentioned earlier.