Why Did the Spanish Empire Begin a Precipitous Decline

Multiple Choice

Why did the Spanish Empire begin a precipitous decline?

A) The citizens of the Spanish Empire largely failed to pay taxes, and it never developed a real class structure.
B) The Spanish Empire was so lenient toward the Native Americans that various tribes eventually were able to join forces and conquer it.
C) Under Queen Elizabeth, England came to control the most colonial outposts and, thus, dominated the Spanish Empire in terms of trade.
D) The Spanish Empire became overly dependent on extraction of wealth rather than expand and stabilize Spanish influence in the New World.
E) Spain encouraged a vast number of settlers to populate New Spain-far more than the colony could handle economically.