History

LO: To learn about the Spanish

Armada

Elizabeth 1.

Sir Francis drake.

A reason for the Armada.• To understand one reason why the Spanish Armada was sent to

attack England, we need to know something about Sir Francis Drake.• Sir Francis Drake was born in 1540 in Devon, England. He became a

great sailor and was the first Englishman to sail around the world. • The Spanish had conquered much of central and South America by

1550. • Their ships carried back large amounts of gold and silver to Spain.• Drake’s ships, during his voyage, used to attack these treasure ships

and steal their goods.• He brought the treasure back to Queen Elizabeth 1, and for that,

when he returned home in 1580 he was knighted. • To the English Drake was a hero, but to the Spanish he was a pirate,

who in their eyes was allowed to do as he wished, with the full knowledge of Queen Elizabeth. This was just not acceptable.

Other reasons for the Armada.

• Philip of Spain was in control of the Netherlands ( modern day Holland and Belgium) and he wanted access through the English channel to this country.

• He also believed that it was his duty to bring protestant England back to the Catholic faith.

• The pope also backed his invasion of England.

• He wanted to make his daughter Isabella, Queen of England.

The Armada • Philip II of Spain was angry that

Queen Elizabeth had not punished Sir Francis Drake for attacking Spanish ships and got together a huge fleet of ships and sent it to fight against the English.

• A huge fleet, or armada of 130 ships was to sail up the English Channel to the Netherlands. It would be joined by an army of 30,000 men and take them to the English coast. Where they would land and invade England returning it to the Catholic religion.

Philip of Spain.

Countdown To Invasion…

21st July 1588• The Spanish Armada sets sail for

England…

2 July 1588 the Spanish Armada

sets sail from Cadiz, a harbour on the

south coast of Spain. The ships sail in a

crescent shape, so it was easier to defeat

the English.

The Spanish ships were sighted off the coast of Cornwall on 30th July 1588. Fires were lit on the tops of hills to let people

know. These are called beacons. The

Spanish won the first battle in the English Channel

near Plymouth on the 31st July.

To invade England properly Phillip 11 of Spain needed a large

army, so he organised his ships to

sail to Calais in France around the 3rd August to pick up the soldiers waiting there.

The Spanish ships travelled up the

Channel and anchored off the coast of France.Sir Francis Drake and

Lord Howard sent small fire ships amongst the Spanish ships around the 6th August, and

many were burnt and the rest scattered into

the north sea.

The Spanish ships moved up the

northern coast of England. And Drake

chased them but knew they would be in trouble because the weather was nasty. So he left

them alone.

Some of the Spanish ships sailed around

the north of Scotland and were

shipwrecked off the coast of Ireland and many of the sailors were killed by the local population. It

was around September and

October when about 60 ships made their way back to Spain.

• Armada left Lisbon on July 21st 1588• English fleet attacked armada near

Plymouth. 21st July.• The armada were trapped when they

stopped near Calais harbour to pick up soldiers. 3/6th August.

• At night Drake and Howard sent eight fire-ships towards Calais harbour. Some Spanish ships were burnt and others fled out to sea. 6/7th August.

• The English destroyed four Spanish ships and damaged many more.

• The Spaniards were beaten but their only way home was to sail right round the north of Scotland and into the Atlantic Ocean. Just 60 ships made it back to Spain.13th August through September and October.

Why is the 1588 battle with the Spanish Armada so famous?

• The Armada is famous because at that time England was a small nation with a little navy and they were facing the greatest power in the world (Spain).  They defeated Spain, with help from a storm.

• It marked the beginning of England's mastery of the seas.  The great history of the English navy began, as did serious English exploration and colonization.