Spanish+Armada

=__Spanish Armada__= toc Philip II, the king of Spain, sent the largest fleet in the world, the **Spanish Armada**, to invade England in the year 1588. Phillip II was furious with England because English ships attacked Spanish merchant ships at sea and stole Spanish treasure being shipped from the New World. Queen Elizabeth encouraged "Sea Dogs" like Francis Drake to terrorize Spanish towns in the Caribbean islands.The armada consisted of 130 ships carrying 30,000 men and 2,400 cannons. English ships were fewer and smaller, but easier to maneuver and more powerful. They sank most of the Armada and the Spanish only set foot on English soil as captives. The rest of the Armada went back to the Spanish ports. ==Before the Armada==

Spain was the most powerful country in the world. The king of Spain, Philip II, owned vast amounts of land and had much wealth from the New World. England was small, had many enemies, very little friends, and very little wealth. Queen Elizabeth didn't seem scared of the greatest power in the World. She believed completely in the loyalty and devotion of her people, and they believed in her. There were many reasons England wanted to go to war with Spain. England was a Protestant country and Spain was Roman Catholic. The Spanish hated Queen Elizabeth and wanted to dethrone her. Queen Elizabeth also encouraged "Sea Dogs" to plunder Spanish galleons loaded with treasure. King Philip was furious because all his treasure from the New World was being stolen by the English before it got back to Spain. He built the **Spanish Armada** to stop the plundering of his ships.

The Beginning
The Spanish started to prepare their ships for battle in 1585. Many ships designed for trade were converted into warships. The purpose of the Armada was to dethrone Elizabeth, put Isabella on the throne, and make England Roman Catholic. There was a set back when Francis Drake and his men destroyed most of the ships at Cadiz. Rumors were passed around for many years of Spain invading England. Queen Elizabeth heard these rumors for 30 years and easily dismissed them. It became clear eventually that Spain was going to send a fleet against England. Queen Elizabeth used all her effort in raising funds to make sure that England would be ready when the Spanish fleet came.

Setting Off for England
The Spanish Armada set off for England in May of 1588. The Armada consisted of 130 ships carrying 30,000 men and 2,400 cannons.Twenty two of the ships were Spanish warships. The other 108 ships were converted Spanish vessels. Their plans were laid out very carefully. The Armada would sail up from Spain along the English channel.They would meet up with the forces of The Duke of Parma, Philip's nephew, coming from the Netherlands. They both would sail to England and overwhelm the English. However, the English were waiting and watching for the Armada. When they saw the fleet approaching, they warned each other by lighting lanterns along the hillsides. Queen Elizabeth was quickly notified of the Armada's approach. She traveled to Tilbury and gave a rousing speech to her troops before the battle. As soon as the ships began to make their way up the channel, the fighting began.

The Fight
In the English channel, the Spanish were losing very badly. The rain and wind were against them in an angry storm. The English believed that the storm was sent by God to punish the Spanish for their attempt to invade England. The English ships were fewer, smaller, and easier to maneuver. The Spanish ships were large and difficult to maneuver. The Spaniards were unable to stand up to the superior English ships and battle tactics. They fled when ship's cannons were aimed at them. The English sank most of the Armada and the Spanish only set foot on English soil as captives. The English had won the battle against the Spanish Armada.

Returning to Spain
The English had defeated the armada of the mighty Spanish Empire and were a second rate power no longer. The Spanish ships that survived the battle barely made it back to Spanish ports. England then was starting to be accepted as a major power. A thanksgiving service was held at St. Paul's Cathedral for the delivery of the country. There wasn't all joy though, The Earl of Leichester, whom Queen Elizabeth loved, had died shortly after celebrating the victory. King Philip sent many other fleets to attack England in the 1590's, but none of them as significant as the Spanish Armada.