Spanish Armada
American History
Mrs. Cady
Review
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In the late 1400’s many countries began to
explore.
They included Portugal, Spain, France, and
England.
Exploration could lead to new wealth.
Under the idea of mercantilism, the more wealth
a country possesses the more power it could
gain.
The power struggle for North America existed
between France, Spain, and England.
The Key Players… King Philip II of
Spain
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Wanted England to be a
Catholic country.
Angry at execution of
Mary, Queen of Scots.
Decided to invade
England.
Ordered a huge fleet of
ships (ARMADA) to be
built.
The Key Players…
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Determined that
England would
remain a Protestant
country.
Ordered English
ships to attack
Spanish ships and
take their cargo.
Queen Elizabeth I
of England
The Key Players…
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Very successful
sailor.
Made the first English
voyage around the
world.
Robbed and
destroyed the
Spanish ships.
Knighted on return.
Sir Francis Drake
of England
Sir Frances Drake Cont….
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As a sailor, Drake's successful battles against the
Spanish helped England become very powerful.
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 would attack these treasure ships and
steal their goods.
Drake's ships captured a huge amount of gold and silver
on their trip around the world. When he returned home in
1580, he was knighted.
The Causes of Invasion…
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Many attacks on the Spanish at sea by
the English.
Queen Elizabeth sent reinforcements
to help the Dutch fight the Spanish.
Mary, Queen of Scots, is executed –
she is next in line to the throne and a
Catholic.
The Pope agrees that Spain can attack
England to restore the Catholic
Church.
Philip II of Spain was angry that Queen
Elizabeth had not punished Sir Francis
Drake for attacking Spanish ships.
The road to invasion….
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Spain:
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Spain had a huge fleet, or armada, of 130 ships,
which were mostly traditional galleons. These ships
had a combined purpose of carrying cargo and
soldiers. They were large, slow, and difficult to steer,
but they were strong. The armada was controlled by
soldiers, not sailors.
England:
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Without the burden of having to pay for a war,
England became prosperous and in 1568 Elizabeth
used money to increase the size of the navy. The
new ships that were built were faster and easier to
steer than before. The navy ships were controlled by
sailors, not soldiers.
The Invasion…..
•The armada would
sail through the
English Channel to
Spanish Netherlands.
• From there, they
would be joined by an
army of 30,000 men
and take them to the
English coast.
•The plan was to
invade England
restore it to the
Catholic religion.
July 21,1588
Armada leaves Spain to sail up the English
Channel, where an army to invade
England is to be waiting.
July 30,1588
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Armada enters English Channel, where
they are surprised to find the main English
fleet. The Armada adopts a crescent battle
formation. After delays, caused by tides
and wind, the English fleet sails to meet it.
July 31st - August 1st 1588
English ships attack outermost Spanish vessels
with long-range gunfire. Nothing is sunk but
San Salvador explodes. Overnight, Drake
breaks the line to capture the Spanish ship
Rosario. English fleet regroups; The Spanish
Armada consolidates the Armada's crescent
formation and sends message out to
rendezvous at Calais.
August 2, 1588
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The Armada reaches Portland Bill. English
and Spanish ships engage in fierce battles.
English ships fire heavily on Spanish but do
little damage. Their ammunition runs low.
August 3-6 1588
The fleet therefore sailed on to Calais (France) to
meet an Spanish army that was supposed to
help join the fight. The Armada drops anchors
off Calais but discovers the invading army is not
ready.
Many of the Armada's Captains wanted to just go
ashore and attack England by land, but Spain’s
orders strictly forbade this.
You are England
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The Spanish Armada is waiting in the
English Channel for army troops to arrive
so they can attack you as soon as
possible.
They are weak with injured troops and low
supplies, but they are keeping their
formation close to the shore
You have a smaller fleet (only sailors, not
soldiers), but your ships are much faster
and easier to steer.
What is your plan?
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If you try to invade, they will see you
coming and attack
You decide you must do something to stop
the Spanish Armada before they regain
their strength and attack your fleet.
With your group, make a plan of attack.
August 7-8 1588
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At midnight, England sent eight fire ships, covered in
tar, into the congested Spanish ranks.
Many Spanish Captains cut their cables, which
attached the boats together, in an attempt to escape
the flames.
They blundered away from the blaze straight into the
gunfire of the waiting English.
•Unfortunately for the Spanish, their fire
power was vastly inferior to that of the
English.
•A change of wind blew the Armada
North out of the range of English fire.
August 13, 1588
After being exhausted by English ships and
battered by storms, the Armada sails
north, intending to round the coast of
Scotland and sail south to Spain.
Conditions on board the ships are poor.
August 24, 1588
Storms scattered the Armada off the north
coast of Scotland.
September - October
Fierce storms drive many
ships towards the Irish
coast. More than 25
ships are wrecked and
thousands of crew
drown, or are killed by
English soldiers when
they reach shore. About
two-thirds of the Armada
eventually escapes bad
weather and sail home
to Spain.
The Result of the Invasion…
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The Armada is famous because at that time England
was a small nation with a small 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.
The defeat of the Spanish Armada marked the rise of
England and the fall of Spain in race for ownership of
North America.
Let’s not forget….
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The Spanish had already conquered much
of central and South America, which
remained in their possession.
Final thought…..
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Although the war between England and
Spain continued until 1604, the defeat of
the Armada marked the end of Spanish
control of the seas, leaving open the
opportunity for England to start colonies in
North America.
The New Situation….
D