Why did the colonies of spain pale in comparison to those of the english at the turn of the 18th century?

The answer to this question is:

Their mother country was wracked with civil war and their colonies received no oversight from the crown.

Early in the century the death of an impotent king brought succession battles to the country. The subsequent conflict,largely served to diminish the global potency of Spain and to downplay its importance as subservient only to foreign powers such as France and Austria. During these years of conflict,the colonies seized the opportunity to break away from the royal house.