Anglo-Spanish War (1585 - 1604)
England vs Spain and the Spanish Armada
SUMMARY
During the first Dutch revolt the English and the Dutch got defeated by the Spanish, then after Queen Elizabeth had Mary, Queen of Scots, who was Catholic, executed King Philip vowed to attack England and put a Catholic ruler on the throne. So he sent his Spanish Armada to invade England. Going up the English channel the Spanish Armada was met with the English Navy all along the way, and the many attacks from the England resulted in the defeat of the Spanish. Then the English Armada headed to destroy the Spanish ships and to capture some of the Spanish treasure fleet. But instead the English faced a major blow to their fleet and lost a lot of their own treasure. Next was many fights on the ocean, Spanish with their navy trying to sink, capture, and destroy English ships, while England with their navy and Sea Dogs trying to do the same. Then Spain got the allies of France and Ireland against England, but at the Battle of Kinsale, the English surrounded the Spanish and the Irish and instead of fighting it out the Spanish surrendered. Both Queen Elizabeth and King Philip II were dead and their successors wanted to find peace with each other and the war ended with the signing of the Treaty of London.
CAUSE/CONFLICT
The main cause of war was a dispute between Catholic Spain and Protestant England, particularly their difference in philosophy relating to religion. To add tensions to it Spain and England were also having problems commercially with their ships. Queen Elizabeth had supported sailors like Sir John Hawkins and his exploits to smuggle in Spanish territory. In return, Spain attacked many English ships at the Battle of San Juan de Ulúa, which sparked a back and forth battle of Spanish and English ships being attacked and sunk, and these attacks worsened the relationship between Queen Elizabeth I of England and King Philip II of Spain. Spain and other Catholic countries wanted to stop Protestantism from spreading and would fight countries that were trying to rebel from their ideals; one of those Protestant countries was the Netherlands. When the Dutch needed help, Queen Elizabeth sent men, weapons, and other subsidies to help in the Dutch-led fight against the Spanish. However, King Philip saw this as a declaration of war by England against Spain. Although the war was never fully declared, the aforementioned disputes were able to cause enough tension that resulted in a war that spanned nearly two decades between two of the world’s finest powers.
COURSE
Capture of Santiago (1585)
Spanish Armada (1588)
English Armada (1589)
Battle of Flores (1591-1592)
Battle of Cornwall (1595)
Siege of Kinsale (1601 - 1602)
Treaty of London (1604)
Elizabeth I of England
The Queen of England, and the daughter of King Henry VIII, she was known as the Virgin Queen for not marrying or having kids to secure her power as Queen. She executed her cousin Mary, Queen of Scot, which was a major cause of the Anglo Spanish War. However, with her as Queen, she led England to a defeat over the Spanish Armada.
Philip II of Spain
The King of Spain, and a devout Catholic. Philip was married to the then-Queen of England, Mary, but after her death, Elizabeth inherited the throne. Because of this, Phillip lost all ability to rule England. Additionally, when he sent a proposal to Elizabeth for her hand in marriage, she rejected him. After that, Philip tried to keep peace between Spain and England--but after Elizabeth’s Protestant ways, the killing of Mary (Queen of Scots), and the helping of the Dutch, tempers boiled over and Philip saw England’s doings as an act of war.
MAIN SIGNIFICANCE
The war resulted in favorable outcomes for BOTH Spain and England. The Treaty of London--which was signed in 1604--allowed the Spanish to further cement themselves as a world power, while the English were ensured that the Protestant Reformation would be protected. Overall, the Spanish were able to refine and upgrade their convoy system; this enabled them to defend their country while also making expeditions into the New World. The English, on the other hand, were able to avoid having to tolerate Catholicism in England, allowing the country to become almost exclusively Protestant. Although the English did not support the Dutch rebellion against the Spanish any longer, the English did not surrender their property in the Netherlands like the Spanish desired. All in all, the English and Spanish both made minor compromises (as portrayed in the Treaty of London); however, these compromises essentially led to desirable outcomes for both sides in the aftermath of the war.
PRIMARY SOURCE DOCUMENT
Treaty of London 1604 (Primary Source)
This Primary Source is was the Treaty signed ending the Anglo-Spanish War. In the Treaty is discusses what both Spain and England want; Spain stop trying to make England Catholic, the English Channel is open to Spanish ships, both countries can use others ports for maintenance, and more.