Answer:
The primary cause for the collapse of the Zhou dynasty was the implementation of the fengjian system, where the royal family would strengthen their authority over the other states by installing relatives as lords in the regions.
The Zhou system was unstable, having to deal with chronic warfare between the various substrates and outsiders. Over the centuries, larger substates conquered smaller ones. The worst warfare occurred during the Era of the Warring States, beginning around 500 C.E. Local dukes ignored the Zhou king and fought among themselves for supremacy. The last of the Zhou states were eventually conquered by the Qin in 221 C.E.
During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, English seafarers were often involved in attacks on Spanish treasure ships and on trading settlements in the Americas. These were carried out with Queen Elizabeth I’s encouragement, in an attempt to weaken the power of Spain rather than capture the empire. England’s main concern was the threat of invasion by Spain, and after the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588, England could feel secure. Gradually England started to look to expand her own empire in North America, leaving South America to Spain and Portugal.
