The Royal Soap Opera, Part 3

When we left off in the last episode, there were three contenders [1] for the throne of England when Henry VIII died, Edward, Mary and Elizabeth. Well, Edward became king but he died when he was 15. Mary Tudor, or Bloody [2] Mary, became queen but she had no children either. She was called Bloody Mary because she killed lots of people. When Mary died, Elizabeth became Queen of England.

Edward, Mary and Elizabeth

During Elizabeth I’s reign [3]m England began to look to America. The Spanish already had their colonies in South and Central America and stealing gold from their ships was an English national sport! This rivalry culminated in the defeat of the Spanish Armada.

But the English wanted colonies too, and they started to explore North America. Sir Walter Raleigh established one, and called it Virginia after The Virgin Queen, Queen Elizabeth I. She was called The Virgin Queen because she never married. Later, in 1607, the first settlement [4], Jamestown, was established. 

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[1] aspirante, [2] sangriento, [3] reinado, [4] asentamiento