Final answer:
The statement that Spain abandoned the colonization of California primarily due to military losses against England is false. Other factors such as imperial overstretch and independence movements in Latin America were more influential.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that a series of losses in wars against England, resulting in the loss of territory, led to Spain abandoning efforts to heavily colonize California is False. While Spain and England did have conflicts in the seventeenth century, it was not primarily these military losses that deterred Spain’s efforts in California. Instead, Spain was stretched thin due to its vast empire, and it was also facing challenges closer to home, such as the independence movements in Latin America following the Napoleonic Wars. Moreover, Spain's rivalry with England and other powers like the Dutch and French was focused on the Caribbean rather than what is now the United States' West Coast.