During the early 1500's the Spanish and Portugal lead the world with their great and dominant Navies. The Spanish discovery of silver in Zacateces and San Luis Potosi allowed Spain to have a lot of trading power with East Asia in the way of silk and back home in Spain helped to put money back into the treasury after the 800 year-long recon quest of Iberia form the Moors (The world that trade created, pg. 54). They also immediately controlled long-distance commerce in the America's due to lack of interest by the locals (The world that trade created, pg. 21). But as time goes on the Spanish and Portuguese hold on the world scene lessens, in many ways due to privaterring, which lead to losses in Spain and gains for the Dutch, English, and French. .
As the Spanish Armada was readily being challenged by the English Navy, the Spanish continually lost control of their trade networks. They did have colonies in the America's but were forced to bring over large number of slaves in order to capitalize on their resources. .
The English were able to take their colonies in New England and over time, with the importation of slave labor from their African Colonies, The America's were able to grow tobacco and trade slaves. These colonies in Africa where the source of much food that was traded to the people of India in exchange for the Opium that they were growing for the English. The English were able to take their lands in Africa, India, and the America's (Caribbean also) and set up a triangle of trade. It seems that they used the labor of the slaves to work the sugar and tobacco fields in the western hemisphere and also grow the food necessary for trade with the Indians of India in exchange for Opium. Because of this triangle effect where all this money and labor was being consistently put back into the English economy were the English able to capitalize and strengthen their economic status while at the same time taking away from the Spanish and Portuguese, who at the beginning of the 1500's were in strong control.