The spanish were in danger of losing control of their new world colonies in the early 1800s. why were they willing to sell east and west florida to the united states? a. france had a claim on florida, and spain was afraid they would lose it anyway. b. spain wanted the oregon territory which it received in exchange for florida. c. they wanted to settle boundary issues from the mississippi river to the pacific ocean. d. spain wanted to concentrate its colonization on the caribbean and central america.