In class we discussed several factors that led England to begin colonizing North America. Discuss and fully explain the following issues and state how each one prompted England to begin colonization of North America: The Balance of World Power, the Black Legend, and the development of an appropriate business model.

The British Empire began to take shape at the beginning of the 17th century, through the establishment of the Jamestown colony in 1607, in Virginia by England, which would be the beginning of the Thirteen Colonies in North America, which were the origin of the United States as well as the maritime provinces of Canada. There was also the colonization of small islands in the Caribbean Sea such as Jamaica and Barbados.

The sugar-producing colonies of the Caribbean, where slavery became the basis of the economy, were the most important and lucrative colonies for England. The American colonies produced tobacco, cotton and rice in the south, naval material and animal skins in the north.

The empire of England in America was gradually expanding through wars and colonies. England managed to control New Amsterdam (later called New York) after the Anglo-Dutch wars. The American colonies extended westward in search of new land for agriculture. During the Seven Years' War, the English defeated the French and stayed with New France in 1760, which made England the owner of almost all of North America.

Later, settlements in Australia (which began with the penal colonies in 1788) and New Zealand (under the domain of the Crown since 1840) created a new zone for migration from the British Isles, although indigenous populations had to suffer unequal wars - in some cases, genocide, as in the Black War - and also diseases. As a result of the wars, genocide, repression and poor diet were reduced in size by about 60-70% in just under a century. These colonies, already in the hands of the new settlers of British origin, will end up obtaining self-government.