England's defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 opened up the seaways and ensured England safe passage to colonize North America.
The Spanish Armada was a Habsburg Spanish fleet of 130 ships that sailed from Corunna in late May 1588, under the lead of the Duke of Medina Sidonia, aiming to escort an army from Flanders to invade England.
British colonization of the Americas started in 1607 in Jamestown, Virginia, and reached its peak when colonies had been established throughout the Americas