Summary - Elizabethan England and the Spanish Armada

To be read in conjunction to viewing the film, Elizabeth - The Golden Era
Lesson 4 - Summary: Elizabethan England and the Spanish Armada

Benchmark: SS.8.2.2 Describe why different people may have different perspectives of the same historical event and multiple interpretations should be considered in order to avoid historical linearity and inevitability.
In retaliation of England's "Sea Dogs," who plundered gold from Spanish ships and ports, King Phillip II of Spain launched a great Spanish Armada of about 130 ships in 1588 in an successful attempt to conquer England.
Though England's navy was far outnumbered by the Spanish Armada, its ships were faster and more easily maneuvered. Led by superb seamanship by Sir Francis Drake, Sir Walter Raleigh, and other "Sea Dogs," English ships defeated their formidable opponent with the help of a fierce storm. The Spanish fleet returned with only 67 vessels to its navy, Spain no longer ruled the world. The English could sail the world freely and realize their dreams of setting up their own rich colonies in the Americas.
This memorable battle sets up the scenario the 1607 Jamestown, Virginia colony led by John Smith and John Rolfe. Pocahanta's intervention in halting Smith's execution by the Tuscaroras opened the door for the English to establish a foothold in America.