Which of the following statements best explains the reason for the pattern of early European settlement in North America illustrated on the map? -Early European colonists relied on the Great Lakes as a major shipping route that connected the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River.

-Few Native Americans lived there so it was a way for Europeans to avoid conflict with indigenous peoples.

-Early European colonists knew their settlements would only be temporary so they selected sites from which they could quickly leave.

-Early European colonists knew their settlements would only be temporary so they selected sites from which they could quickly leave.