| Home | The armada was a vast, strong,
huge battle fleet, yet it was overcome by the English “Seadogs.”
In 1588, King Philip II, an extremely religious Catholic, sent a fleet
of one hundred and thirty ships called the Spanish Armada to his rival
Queen Elizabeth I of England. Their mission was to destroy
Protestant
England. Queen Elizabeth's father, King Henry VIII, had broken away
from the Roman Catholic Church to start the Church of England. They
were called Protestants because they protested against the Roman Catholic
Church. However, Philip II thought that everyone in Europe should
be Catholic.
England, however, was expecting an attack and was prepared. England was superior in both weaponry and supplies, and with the Armada suffering from a disease and shipwreck, England was sure to win. The Spanish were supposed to surround England and launch an attack, but when the Spanish were sighted off Plymouth on July 30, the English chased the Spanish Armada out of the English Channel. |