GREAT EVENTS AND PEOPLE FROM BRITISH HISTORY
CONTENTS:
1. Augustine’s Mission
2. Alfred the Great
3. The Norman Conquest
4. Henry II and Thomas Becket
5. Richard the Lionheart and Saladin the Merciful
6. King John and Magna Carta
7. Edward I and the Conquest of Wales
8. The Peasants’ Revolt
9. Henry’s ‘Great Matter’
10. The Spanish Armada 0
11. The Gunpowder Plot
12. The Trial and Execution of Charles I
Chronology
Glossary
1 10. THE SPANISH ARMADA
“I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and a king of England too, and think it foul scorn that Parma, or Spain, or any prince of Europe should dare to invade the borders of my realm.” Elizabeth I’s Tilbury speech
The Elizabethan Golden Age
Elizabeth I is usually regarded as one of England’s greatest monarchs. Her reign is seen as a golden age when art and literature flourished, trade boomed, and England enjoyed a long period of peace and stability after the religious turmoil of the previous two reigns. Elizabeth was Queen of England for forty-five years: from 1558 to 1603. Of all her achievements, the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 was the most spectacular. Elizabeth was eulogised afterwards as ‘Gloriana’, and she has gone down in history as the ever popular ‘Good Queen Bess’.
Portrait of Elizabeth I commemorating the defeat of the Spanish Armada, known as the ‘Armada Portrait’
2 Philip II of Spain
Philip II of Spain ruled over a vast empire, including Portugal, the Spanish Netherlands and extensive territories in the ‘New World’. He was the most powerful king in Europe at the time, and he had many reasons to wage war on Elizabeth. First and foremost were his religious reasons. Philip was a devout Catholic and regarded all Protestants as heretics. Philip saw himself as the champion of Catholicism in Europe. He had been married to Elizabeth’s Catholic sister, Mary Tudor, and on Mary’s death, Philip proposed marriage to Elizabeth, in the hope that he could keep England in the Catholic fold, but Elizabeth declined him (as she did all her suitors). Philip was horrified when England reverted once more to Protestantism. Moreover, Elizabeth supported the Protestant Dutch rebels in the Netherlands in their struggle against Catholic Spain. The final religious reason was the execution of the Catholic Mary Queen of Scots in 1587. Philip also had a commercial reason to wage war: English pirates were attacking and Portrait of Philip II of Spain robbing Spanish treasure ships carrying home gold and silver bullion from the Spanish mines in South America.
The invasion plan
The invasion plan centred around the formidable Spanish infantry, the bulk of which was stationed in the Spanish Netherlands, under the command of the Duke of Parma. A fleet of flat-bottomed boats was built in Antwerp to transport the Spanish soldiers. Meanwhile, in the ports of Spain, Philip ordered a huge armada of 130 ships to be assembled, ready to sail to the Netherlands to escort Parma’s invasion force safely across the English Channel, and to carry additional soldiers and supplies.
3 Singeing the King of Spain’s beard
Whilst the armada was being assembled, one of the commanders of the English fleet, Sir Francis Drake, led a daring raid on the Spanish port of Cadiz. Drake had recently completed a circumnavigation of the globe, and on his return in 1580 had been knighted by Elizabeth on board his flagship, the Golden Hind. He was an experienced and confident commander, and a crafty pirate and buccaneer to boot. He entered the harbour at Cadiz and let loose fire ships amongst the Spanish vessels, to devastating effect. He described the incident mockingly as ‘singeing the King of Spain’s beard’.
Portrait of Sir Francis Drake
The armada sets sail
Drake’s Cadiz raid caused many months’ delay for Philip, but, by the summer of 1588, the armada was ready to set off. The Spanish fleet sailed in a crescent formation, with their merchant ships in the middle, protected by warships at either end. Once the Spanish had been sighted off Cornwall, fires were lit, one by one, along the south coast of England, heralding the armada’s progress up the English Channel. There is an apocryphal story of Drake playing a game of bowls in Plymouth: when warned that the Spanish fleet was approaching, he is supposed to have said that there would be plenty of time to finish the game and then beat the Spanish! There were skirmishes off Plymouth, Portland Bill and the Isle of Wight, but the Spanish could not get close enough to the English ships for their soldiers to board them as the Spanish ships were heavier and slower-moving than the English. The commander of the Spanish fleet, the Duke of Medina Sidonia, decided against a full naval engagement as he was intent on his rendezvous with the Duke of Parma. The Spanish fleet finally reached Calais, where they dropped anchor. To his dismay, the Duke of Medina Sidonia discovered that the Duke of Parma’s forces had been delayed fighting the Dutch rebels, and would not be ready to sail for a fortnight.
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Painting of the Spanish Armada
The Battle of Gravelines
On the evening of 7th August, whilst the Spanish lay at anchor off Calais, awaiting the arrival of Parma and his army, the English sent in fire ships. The Spanish vessels were forced to cut their anchor ropes and flee. The next day, with their crescent formation scattered, the English confronted the Spanish with a full-blown naval attack. At the Battle of Gravelines, the English, under the command of Lord Howard of Effingham, with Sir Francis Drake as his deputy, used their long-range broadside guns to good effect, damaging a number of Spanish ships. The Spanish were forced to abandon their plans to rendezvous with Parma. They turned tail northwards, with the English in hot pursuit.
Tilbury
Meanwhile, the English troops were assembled at Tilbury, awaiting the Spanish invasion. Elizabeth donned a gleaming silver breastplate and helmet, and rode out to her troops on a magnificent white stallion to deliver her famous speech. She told them that she would live and die fighting alongside them. In the event, the battle had already been won
5 on the high seas by the British navy. The defeat of the Spanish Armada was a spectacular victory for Protestant England against the might of Catholic Spain.
The armada sails home
The armada limped home, forced to take the long and dangerous journey back around the British Isles. Some ships had been so badly damaged that they sank on the way home. Others were captured by the Dutch rebels. Many of the sailors and soldiers on board died from their wounds. Supplies of food and water ran low. Terrible storms caused numerous shipwrecks on the Scottish and Irish coasts. It is estimated that only half the Spanish ships reached home safely.
Key words and concepts:
Golden age: Idyllic, often imaginary past time of peace, prosperity and happiness.
Armada: Fleet of warships.
Elizabethan: From the reign of Elizabeth I.
Gloriana: Name, meaning glorious, given to Elizabeth I towards the end of her reign.
New World: Name given to North and South America, when these continents had been ‘discovered’ at the end of the 15th century.
Catholic: Member of the Roman Catholic Church.
Protestant: Member of one of the Western Christian Churches which emerged during the 16th century in protest against Catholicism.
Heretic: Person whose beliefs question or contradict the established church.
Gravelines, Battle of: 1588. Naval battle in which the Spanish Armada was defeated.
Broadside guns: Guns fired from the side of ships.
Key people:
Elizabeth I: Queen of England (ruled 1558 – 1603). Known as ‘Gloriana’ and ‘Good Queen Bess’.
Philip II: King of Spain who was married to Mary Tudor and who launched the Spanish Armada against Elizabeth I.
6 Mary Tudor: Queen of England (reigned 1553 -58). Wife of Philip II of Spain.
Mary, Queen of Scots: Queen of Scotland. Cousin of Elizabeth I. Mother of James I. Executed in 1587.
Parma, Duke of: Commander of the Spanish forces fighting the Dutch rebels in the reign of Elizabeth I.
Francis Drake: Naval commander and pirate who completed a circumnavigation of the globe and who played a key role in the defeat of the Spanish Armada.
Medina Sidonia, Duke of: Commander of the Spanish Armada.
Howard of Effingham, Lord: Commander of the English navy. Defeated the Spanish Armada.
Vocabulary activities:
1. Which of these words most closely matches the meaning of the adjective ‘feeble’?
a. Stupid b. Funny c. Weak
2. Which of these words most closely matches the meaning of the noun ‘realm’?
a. A ship b. A kingdom c. A house
3. Which of these phrases most closely matches the meaning of the phrase ‘golden age’?
a. An idyllic period of time b. An expensive object c. A yellow ball
4. Which of these words most closely matches the meaning of the noun ‘turmoil’?
a. Certainty b. Bravery c. Confusion
7 5. Which of these phrases most closely matches the meaning of the verb ‘eulogised’?
a. Left empty b. Taken apart c. Highly praised
6. Which of these words or phrases most closely matches the meaning of the adjective ‘apocryphal’?
a. Unlikely to be completely true but widely circulated nevertheless b. Definitely true c. Ancient
7. Which of these phrases most closely matches the meaning of the noun ‘skirmish’?
a. A thin veil b. A sharp implement c. A short, unplanned fight
8. Which of these phrases most closely matches the meaning of the noun ‘rendezvous’?
a. A token of gratitude b. A prearranged meeting at a fixed time c. A wild party
9. Which of these phrases most closely matches the meaning of the phrase ‘turned tail’?
a. Pushed forwards b. Stayed still c. Turned around
10. Which of these phrases most closely matches the meaning of the phrase ‘in hot pursuit’?
a. Following quickly in order to catch someone or something b. Heating up to boiling point c. Arguing loudly
8 11. Using a thesaurus, find and write down at least one synonym of each of the following words:
a. Armada (noun) b. Turmoil (noun) c. Extensive (adjective) d. Circumnavigate (verb) e. Commercial (adjective)
12. Choose the word or phrase that would go in the gap from the box at the bottom, and write out the full sentence in your book.
a. The burglar ran down the street with the police ______. b. My grandfather often describes his childhood as a ______before the war started. c. We missed our ______because the train was late. d. The ______stories about her early career were bordering on the ridiculous. e. Everyone was exhausted so we ______for home.
rendezvous golden age turned tail apocryphal in hot pursuit
13. Now write your own sentence for each of the following words and phrases (use the definitions you gave earlier to help you):
a. Feeble (adjective) b. Golden age c. Turmoil (noun) d. Apocryphal (adjective) e. Skirmish (noun) f. Rendezvous (noun) g. Turned tail h. In hot pursuit
Comprehension Questions (answer in full sentences):
1. When did Elizabeth I come to the throne? 2. Explain why Elizabeth’s reign is described as a golden age. 3. Give three reasons why Philp II of Spain decided to invade England. 4. Which do you think was the most important reason for the invasion, and why?
9 5. Describe the Spanish invasion plan. You should write a paragraph in answer to this question. 6. Which tactic did Sir Francis Drake use in his raid on Cadiz? 7. When did the Spanish Armada set sail? 8. In what formation did the armada sail? 9. Why couldn’t the Spanish get close enough to the English ships to board them? 10. Why were the Duke of Parma’s forces not ready? 11. What happened at the Battle of Gravelines? 12. Where were the English troops assembled? 13. What did Elizabeth tell her troops in her famous speech? 14. Explain why the Spanish fleet had to take such a difficult route home.
Creative Writing Tasks:
1. Imagine that you are a Spanish sailor on board one of the warships in the armada. Tell the story of what happened to you. You might wish to consider the following points:
Did you have time to say goodbye to your family before you boarded the ship? What were your thoughts on departing? Did you have any friends on board with you? What was the weather like on your journey from Spain? Did you feel seasick? What was the food like on the ship? What duties did you have to perform each day? Where did you sleep? What happened to your ship at the Battle of Gravelines? Were you frightened in the heat of the battle? What happened to you on your journey home?
2. Imagine that you are Sir Francis Drake. Write a report for Queen Elizabeth of your raid on Cadiz.
3. Write a speech for Queen Elizabeth to give in Parliament, recounting England’s victory over the Spanish.
10 Essay Tasks:
1. “The Spanish Armada was doomed to failure.” Discuss. You might wish to consider the following points:
The relative power and size of Philip’s Spanish Empire and Elizabethan England The Spanish invasion plan The difficulties of arranging a rendezvous with the Duke of Parma The experience and skill of Sir Francis Drake The difference between the Spanish and the English ships The role of the Dutch rebels
2. “The defeat of the Spanish Armada was as significant an event in the history of Britain as the Norman Conquest.” How far do you agree with this statement?
3. “Propaganda and mythmaking have always played a vital role in promoting the popularity of rulers and governments.” Discuss. You might wish to consider the following points:
How Elizabeth used her victory over Spain to enhance her image of ‘Gloriana’ e.g. the ‘Armada Portrait’. Other rulers you have learned about or have read biographies of e.g. Ramesses the Great, Alexander the Great, Cleopatra, Julius Caesar, Alfred the Great, William the Conqueror, Richard the Lionheart, Henry VIII, Napoleon Bonaparte. Present day governments’ use of the press and social media.
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