The Spanish Armada 1588

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The Spanish Armada 1588
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Learning objectives

• To have some understanding of why the Armada
  sailed.
• To know something about what happened when the
  Armada came and why it failed.

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Why did the Armada sail?

• King Philip of Spain was the most powerful king
  in Europe.
• He had married Elizabeths step-sister, Mary. He
  offered to marry Elizabeth and was very annoyed
  when she refused.

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• From 1562 onwards English ships attacked Philips
  treasure ships on their way home from South
  America.

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• Elizabeth had made England a Protestant country
  once more.
• King Philip was a devout Catholic and felt that
  it was his duty to turn England into a Catholic
  country again.

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• At this time the parts of Europe that we now call
  Holland and Belgium (Netherlands) belonged to
  Spain.
• When the people there rebelled against Spain
  Elizabeth sent troops to help them.

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• In 1587 Mary, Queen of Scots had been executed on
  Elizabeths orders.
• In her will Mary had given the throne of
  England to Philip.

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The invasion plan

• Philip had been planning the invasion for some
  time.
• The building of the Armada was hurried up.
  Philip was told that 25,000 English Catholics
  would join his army once it had landed.
• The Armada was to sail to Belgium and pick up an
  army of 30,000 to invade England.

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What happened to the Armada?

• 1587 The singeing of the King of Spains beard
  by Francis Drake.

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• The Spanish ships Drake had captured a large
  number of barrels. The new barrels were not very
  good and the food in them went bad.
• The new ships that were built were poorly made
  with rotten ropes and weak timber.
• The army in Belgium was struck by disease and
  nearly half of them died.
• The admiral of the armada died and he was
  replaced by the Duke of Medina Sidonia.

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• He was quite old.
• He knew nothing about the sea.
• He begged Philip not to send him.
• He was often sea sick.

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• May 1588 a fleet of 130 ships set sail.
• They hit a very bad storm and had to find a
  harbour to repair their ships.
• They set out again in July.
• A fast English sailing boat spotted them and sail
  back to England with the news.

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• A system of beacons had been set up on every
  hillside.
• Once the Armada was sighted these beacons were
  lit so that the country could prepare for the
  invasion.

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• The English commanders Lord Howard of Effingham
  and Sir Francis Drake.

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• The Armada moved slowly up the Channel in a half
  moon formation.

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• A game of bowls.

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• Once they had passed Plymouth the English Fleet
  came out and followed them.

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• The Armada reached Calais and stopped to pick up
  the waiting troops. It looked as if the plan
  would work.
• Butfire ships.

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• Drake sent eight fire ships filled with barrels
  of tar and other inflammable material.
• The Spanish panicked. Anchor chains were cut and
  the ships fled out of the harbour in twos and
  threes.
• The half moon formation had been broken.

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• The English ships attacked the Spanish ships and
  chased them up the East coast.

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• The weather worsened and a gale sprang up.
• The English ships headed for the safety of a port
  but the Spanish ships were heavier and had to run
  with the wind.
• The Spanish ships had broken mast and were
  riddled with cannon shot.
• They had to sail round the north of Scotland,
  round Ireland and then head for home.
• The seas in the north are treacherous and many of
  the Spanish did not make it back.
• Only just over 60 ships returned to Spain.

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• Queen Elizabeth had a special portrait painted.