Chapter 2- The Planning of English America Most of the new world had been changed profoundly as the seventeenth century dawned. North America was largely unclaimed (the area over Mexico). And the Spanish had set up much of the control in Central and South America. England?s Imperial Stirrings England didn?t put in much effort to colonize as the Spanish did. After King Henry VIII broke with Church he launched the English Protestant reformation. At first England and Spain were allies but after the Protestant Elizabeth ascended to the English throne a rivalry with Catholic Spanish intensified. Catholic Ireland, originally under English rule sought help from Spain but they failed and England put protestants there. Many English developed contempt for the ?savage? Irish.