Elizabethan Era: War Against England With the Spanish Armada

Queen Elizabeth I was born on September 7, 1533 to father King Henry VIII and mother Anne Boleyn at Greenwich Palace where she became fluent in 6 foreign languages and developed extensive knowledge of a variety of subjects including classic literature and art. Queen Elizabeth I was the last monarch of the Tudor Dynasty and her reign lasted from March 17, 1558 to 1603 when she died. 

As a Protestant, she passed the Act of the Thirty-Nine Articles to make the Anglican Church the official church of England in 1563. Later on in 1587, the Queen went through a dark time starting with her signing the execution of Mary Stuart after the Babington Plot was exposed then with Queen Elizabeth I threatening her own spies at Spanish ports and the killing of hundreds of Catholics in England. 

At the same time, King Philip finally started to prepare for war against England with the Spanish Armada, a fleet of 130 ships and 52,000 men, after the Protestant Queen Elizabeth I angered the Catholic King Philip II by funding Dutch provinces rebelling under Spanish rule in 1572 and encouraging England sailors, such as Francis Drake, to raid Spanish ships from 1577-1580. 

Two factors helped England win the war against the renowned Spanish fleet that began in 1588 which was destructive weather and Queen Elizabeth I's ability to recruit talented men to defend England. At Calais, the Spanish fleet was forced to retreat after receiving blow after blow from English naval forces, and as they were retreating, strong storms sunk Spanish ships resulting in a loss of half the Spanish Armada. 

However, after the war, Queen Elizabeth I instigated an unsuccessful invasion of Spain and Portugal and she authorized the execution of Robert Dudley of Essex, but overall, Queen Elizabeth I beat the Spanish Armada, improved the Anglican church, kept the economy stable during the war, boosted culture in her court by becoming a patroness of the arts, and honorably stayed strong for her country. 

In conclusion, during the Elizabethan Era, England emerged as a leading nation of impressive art, trade, and might with London becoming the cultural center of it all with its population increasing 400% and the economy booming. England had unparalleled literacy accomplishments in drama, theater and poetry with the rise of brilliant dramatists such as Shakespeare.