On
this page you will find a history lesson based on original documents
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Elizabeth I |
In the 1580s, relations between England and Spain had been getting worse and
worse. By May 1588, King Philip II of Spain had finished preparing
a fleet, the Spanish Armada, to invade England. His plan was for the
fleet of 130 ships, carrying 30,000 sailors and soldiers, to sail up
the English Channel. They would link up with the Spanish army based in
the Low Countries, and together they would invade England. The Protestant
Queen Elizabeth I would be removed from the throne and replaced with
a Catholic ruler. The Catholic religion would be restored in England.
The arrival of the Armada on 29th July 1588 was no surprise. The English had
known about its preparation for several years and had been making their own preparations
to face the attack. The government had been building new ships, forts and warning
beacons. They made efforts to disrupt the Spanish preparations. Francis
Drake attacked the Spanish fleet in Cadiz harbour in 1587. They had also been
trying to win the war of words - the propaganda battle between the two countries.
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Study the extracts taken from a draft proclamation by the government of
Elizabeth I. This was sent with a letter on 24th June 1588 by Lord
Burghley, Elizabeth I's chief minister, to Sir Francis Walsingham.
They were clearly discussing how to make their case most persuasive
and to blame the war on others.
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The proclamation was part of the propaganda war between Elizabeth
I and her Catholic enemies led by Philip II of Spain.
King Philip II of Spain was hostile to Queen Elizabeth's England
for several reasons:
- England had become a Protestant country and as a devout Catholic himself Philip II wanted to change it back to a Catholic country;
- Elizabeth I was helping the rebels fighting against Philip II in the Low Countries;
- Elizabeth I had had the Catholic Mary, Queen of Scots executed in 1587 and Philip wanted to avenge her death;
- English sailors were attacking Spanish ships and cities in the New
World (in 1587 Drake had attacked Cadiz).
Queen Elizabeth I was unhappy with Philip II's Spain because:
- English ships were barred from trading with the Spanish Empire;
- Philip II was encouraging her Catholic subjects to plot and rebel against her and that is one reason why she had to execute Mary, Queen of Scots.
The hostility between England and Spain can be traced back to much earlier in Elizabeth's reign.
| 1570 |
Pope Pius V ordered English Catholics not to obey Elizabeth I. |
| 1571 |
The Ridolfi Plot intended to use a Spanish army to overthrow Elizabeth I. |
| 1583 |
The Throckmorton Plot planned to put Mary, Queen of Scots on
the English throne with Spanish support. |
| 1585 |
Philip II put an embargo on all English goods in Spain.
An English army was sent to the Low Countries to help the Dutch
rebels against the Spanish.
Drake occupied Spanish ports in Galicia for 10 days in October
and then went on to sack islands in the Canaries and in the Caribbean.
Philip II began planning an invasion of England. |
| 1586 |
The Babington Plot planned to assassinate Elizabeth I and put Mary, Queen of Scots on the throne.
Nine new warships were built for Elizabeth I's navy.
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| 1587 |
Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots.
Drake's raid on Cadiz.
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| 1588 |
Anglo-Spanish peace talks began in the Low Countries on 8th March.
Peace talks moved to Bourbourg 23rd May.
Armada sailed from Lisbon 28th May.
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For other propaganda Snapshots see:
World War 2 Propaganda: How did the British Government try to keep the support of the people of West Africa during the Second World War?
For a related Snapshot see:
The Spanish Armada: Did God really help defeat it?
For more information on plots against Elizabeth:
Secrets and Spies exhibition
Take a look at the following website:
The National Maritime Museum, Greenwich |
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The level of
this activity is Key Stage 3.
This Snapshot is intended for use either
as part of a study of the use of propaganda over time or within
the context of some explicit work on Elizabethan England and the
Spanish Armada.

Unit 5: Elizabeth I. How successfully did she tackle the problems
of her reign?
Section 7: Why did Philip of Spain pose such a big problem to Elizabeth I?
It also picks up the literacy focus on the characteristics of persuasive
writing. This will help pupils in their critical use of sources and in
their own historical communication. |
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