Historical Notes On Spanish Armada and English Queen Power

In the early 1600’s many Native Americans died from disease and only left about 10% of the population alive. Most of North America was left undiscovered, unexplored, and unclaimed.

Three European powers planted three primitive outposts in three distant corners of the continent within three years of one another. These powers were the Spanish at Santa Fe, the French at Quebec, and the United States of America at Jamestown Virginia.

England’s Imperial Stirrings

England had become allies with the Spanish in the 1500’s. As King Henry VIII broke with the Romans, religious conflict began to arise. This was the launching of the English Protestant Reformation. The Catholics Battled the Protestants for decades.

The Catholic Irish needed help to overthrow the Protestant English Queen, but the Spanish never fulfilled the request, and nothing happened.

“Elizabeth’s troops crushed the Irish uprising with terrible ferocity, inflicting unspeakable atrocities upon the native Irish people. The English crown confiscated Catholic Irish lands and “planted” them with new Protestant landlords from Scotland and England”.

Elizabeth Energizes England

English Buccaneers planned to seize and raided Spanish Treasure Ships. England and Spain were at peace though. The coast of Newfoundland was the site of the first English attempt at colonization but collapsed when promoter Sir Humphrey Gilbert lost his life at sea in 1583—the dream inspired his gallant half-brother.

Sir Walter Raleigh created a plan to organize an expedition to land at 1585. This expedition was created to land on North Carolina’s Roanoke Island. After the trip, Roanoke Island vanished and was never seen again.

The English failures at colonization contrasted embarrassingly with the glories of the Spanish Empire, whose profits were enriching Spain beyond its ambitious dreams; Philip II of Spain, foe of the Protestant Reformation used his imperial gains to amass an Invincible Armada.

The English Sea dogs attacked at the English Channel and eventually beats the Spanish Armada. The Spanish Imperial dreams were crushed. After the battle was over and the English defeated the Armada, it marked a start of dominance of England in the Atlantic Waters. England showed many dominant characteristics that the Spanish showed a century earlier on their quest to colonizing new land. Those Characteristics included:

• A strong, unified national state under a popular monarch;
• A measure of religious unity after a protracted struggle;
• A vibrant sense of nationalism existing in the state.

Start of a New Era

In conclusion, after the defeat of the Armada, a new era began as it was the start of the golden age of literature. The England had a lot of self confidence thinking to themselves that they are the new powerhouse of the world both in the eyes of military strength, and colonization purposes.