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1.6 The Spanish Armada Level Intermediate – upper intermediate.
Time 3 lessons (1 lesson – 45 minutes).
Learning objectives To give insight into history as a subject requiring
interpretation as well as factual information.
To develop an understanding of the reasons for the failure
of the Armada.
To develop an insight into the minds of both the English
and the Spanish involved in this episode of Tudor history.
To stimulate students’ creativity and improve their
communicative skills.
Resources The Spanish Armada Background – SA1.
A portrait of Philip II.
A portrait of Elizabeth I.
The Spanish Armada Background – test – SA2.
The Spanish Armada Background – test – Key - SA3.
Myths and Facts – SA4.
The Spanish Armada – SA5.
The English Fleet – SA6.
3 pictures depicting the Spanish ships.
3 pictures depicting the English ships.
2 maps illustrating the route of the Armada.
6 paintings illustrating the scenes of the Spanish Armada
route and the battle.
The Story of the Spanish Armada – SA7.
9 sheets of paper – the teacher writes the dates from
Handout SA7 on separate sheets of paper. This should be
prepared before the lesson.
Picture supplement is available on url: http://moodlinka.ped.muni.cz/data/100106/The_Spanish_Armada_pictures.pdf
The background of the Spanish Armada
The teacher outlines the background of the Spanish Armada. Use Handout SA1. If
necessary, familiarize students with the described expressions and names. For further
illustration use the portraits of Philip II and Elizabeth I.
To practice and check students’ knowledge, use a quick test – Handout SA2.
Myths and Facts about the attack of the Spanish Armada
To increase students’ knowledge of this topic, cut Handout SA4 into 16 pieces. The
handout contains 8 myths and 8 correlated facts about the Spanish Armada.
Give each student one piece (either a myth or a fact). Students walk around the
classroom, asking their classmates questions and looking for the person with the related
myth or the fact to make the pair with.
When the 8 pairs are ready, the students explain or retell their myth and fact to the rest
of the class. Each short presentation can be followed by discussion.
The story of the Spanish Armada
Divide the class in halves. One half represents the Spanish Armada; the other, the
English fleet. Provide the Spanish Armada with Handout SA5 with the 3 pictures of
Spanish ships, and English fleet with Handout SA6 with 3 pictures depicting English
ships.
The handouts and the pictures give the students better illustration and more information
about their ships, crews, and the fleet itself.
While the students are going through the materials, which will be also useful for final
discussion, the teacher arranges the classroom.
Make as much space as possible (move the desks aside etc.). Use the 9 prepared sheets
with written dates. Lay the “dates” out on the classroom floor so as to simulate the
stages of the Armada route.
Use Handout SA7 and cut the “students’ part” into 18 pieces. Each piece consists of a
date and an event related either to the Spanish Armada or English fleet.
Take the maps and briefly familiarize students with the Spanish Armada route. Use the
6 enclosed paintings to help with visualization. Attach the paintings to the walls near
the date when the event happened. It helps to improve the atmosphere of the classroom.
Give 9 pieces of Handout SA7 to the “Spanish Armada” students and the rest to the
“English fleet” students. Each student in the group takes one piece and finds his/her
position in the classroom according to the given date. There should be one Spaniard
and one Englishman on each date. Students read their extracts, which inform them
about the certain event.
Students should adopt new identities. They should become sailors, cooks, commanders,
etc. Each student should prepare at least 3 sentences (in direct speech) to describe the
event that happened that day. For their performance, they can use objects in the
classroom, cooperate with their “enemy” or act on their own. When the students are
ready, the voyage of the Spanish Armada starts.
The route of the Spanish Armada
The teacher uses Handout SA7 to tell the very beginning of the voyage. The teacher
should set the first action in motion by saying “roll”. This will help students to feel
more like actors. When the performance of the first day of battle is over, the teacher
says “cut” to interrupt the sail. A short discussion follows each performance. The
students (except the actors) guess what may have happened that day. Then teacher says
“roll” to let the voyage run again and another performance follows.
When the last event is over, the teacher uses Handout SA7 to tell the story of the end
of the voyage.
Discussion
• How did you feel when you realized, that Parma’s soldiers were not waiting in
Calais?
• How did you feel when the strong wind (which helped English fleet) started to
blow?
• Why was the English fleet more successful?
• Why was the Spanish Armada defeated? etc.
Use Handouts SA5 and SA6, which the students should have studied before.
Extra task
After the defeated Spanish Armada reached Spain in September, the commanders had
an audience with Philip II, the king of Spain. Ask the “Spanish Armada students” to
help their commanders and to prepare a short speech (or notes for a short speech) to
defend their defeat and so convince Philip II of their innocence. Otherwise they would
be imprisoned or hanged.
When the English fleet anchored in Plymouth after their great victory, the commanders
asked for the audience with Elizabeth I, the Queen of England. Ask the “English fleet
students” to prepare a short speech (or notes for a speech). The commanders should
exaggerate their victory so as to get more money, some land or to be knighted.
The teacher should play the roles of Philip II and Elizabeth I.
Discussion
• Were the speeches persuasive?
• If you were the king, would you change your mind? etc.
SA1
The Spanish Armada – Background
In 1588, King Philip II of Spain sent the Armada (a fleet of ships) to collect his army
from the Netherlands, where they were fighting, and take them to invade England. This
was done mainly in the name of religion, because England had become Protestant and
no longer accepted pope as the head of the Church; Spain was Catholic and pope had
encouraged Philip to try to make England become Catholic again. He also had a
political reason to go to war with England because Spain ruled the Netherlands, but the
people there were rebelling against Spanish control and England had been helping
them.
Philip was also annoyed when Elizabeth agreed with the execution of Mary Stuart.
Philip had hoped that Mary would eventually become the Catholic Queen of England.
Philip’s anger with England increased further after Elizabeth knighted Francis Drake,
who robbed Spanish ships, which were bringing gold back from the Spanish newly
acquired territories in South America.
In addition to religious and political reasons, there was also a personal one. After the
death of his wife, Mary Tudor, King Philip II of Spain asked Elizabeth to be his bride.
Philip was furious when Elizabeth refused.
By the 1580s, the two countries were clearly enemies and Philip decided to invade the
England. The invasion took a lot of preparation, but had to be delayed when Francis
Drake burned some ships in Cadiz harbour. It was not until July 1588 that the 130 ships
finally left Spain. The large Spanish galleons were filled with 17,000 well-armed
soldiers and 180 Catholic priests.
If necessary, familiarize students with the following:
Philip II of Spain
King of Spain from 1556-1588, when the Spanish Empire was most powerful. He was
also King of Portugal. Philip married the Catholic English Queen, Mary I. He was an
important supporter of pope and Roman-Catholics, but an enemy of Protestant England.
He sent the Armada to invade England in 1588.
Elizabeth I
Elizabeth Tudor, daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, was the Queen of England
from 1558 to 1603. Her reign is seen as a golden period of English history with great
advances in the arts, development of the theatre, discoveries by explorers, the growth of
trade and the success of the navy. All this made England an important country and a
strong power in Europe. Although there were lots of arguments over religion and
dangerous political plots, Elizabeth continued to rule for 45 years.
Mary Stuart
Mary was the daughter of James V, King of Scotland.
Mary Tudor
Mary Tudor was the daughter of Henry VIII and his first wife, Katherine of Aragon.
After her younger brother, King Edward VI died; Mary became the first queen to rule
England in her own right from 1553 to 1558. After the introduction of the Protestant
faith during her brother's reign, Mary tried to return the country back to the Roman
Catholic faith. She married King Philip II of Spain in 1554 to make an alliance with the
Spanish empire.
Catholic
A member of the Christian church based in Rome and led by pope.
Protestant
Member of a branch of the Christian church that separated from the Roman Catholic
Church during the 16th century.
Galleon
Large, long warship (with one deck) powered by oars and sails. °
°http://www.historyonthenet.com/Tudors/spanish_armada.htm , 10. 1. 2005. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01727c.htm , 11. 1. 2005. http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/H/history/pirates/armada3.html , 11. 1. 2005. http://www.learningcurve.gov.uk/snapshots/snapshot39/glossary.htm#protestant , 11. 1. 2005. PALLISER, D.M. The Age of Elizabeth: England under the later Tudors 1547 – 1603. London: Longman Group UK Limited, 1992. ISBN 0 582 013224. HONEY, Alison. Investigating the Tudors. London: The National Trust, 1993. ISBN 0 7078 01680.
SA2
The Spanish Armada – Test
1. The fleet of ships sent to collect the soldiers from Netherlands, was named
………………………
2. The king of Spain who married Mary Tudor was ………………………
3. ………………………who was the daughter of ………………………and
Anne Boleyn, was the Queen of England from 1558 to 1603.
4. When England became ………………………the head of the Church was no
longer ………………………but king.
5. Spain was ………………………and so the head of their Church was the
……………………
6. Philip II and pope wanted England to become ………………………again.
7. Elizabeth agreed with the execution of Mary Stuart, who was a follower of the
………………………religion.
8. The political reason for the preparations of the invasion was the rebellions
against Spanish control in ………………………which were supported by
………………………
9. Elizabeth knighted ………………………who robbed Spanish ships.
10. Philip’s personal reason for the Armada invasion was the rejected proposal of
marriage by ………………………
11. The invasion had to be delayed, because ………………………burned some
………………………ships in Cadiz harbour.
12. In ………………………the Armada left Spain.
SA3
The Spanish Armada Background test – Key
1. Spanish Armada
2. Philip II
3. Elizabeth I ; Henry VIII
4. Protestant ; pope
5. Catholic ; pope
6. Catholic
7. Catholic
8. Netherlands ; England
9. Francis Drake
10. Elizabeth I
11. Francis Drake ; Spanish
12. 1588
SA4
Myths and Facts
about the Attack of the Spanish Armada in 1588 Myth
The Armada was a surprise attack.
Fact
An attack had been planned for several years and England knew it was coming. Spain
and England were obvious enemies: each state supported rebellions against the other
and English sea dogs were robbing and destroying Spanish ships. The English knew
that Spain was constructing a fleet for future action, and in the middle of 1580s, it
reconstructed its own fleet to meet the threat. In the summer of 1588, England not only
knew – through a document – that the Armada was on its way, it knew its exact size.
Myth
The impulse for the construction of the Armada was Francis Drake’s attack on Spanish
ships in Cadiz harbour.
Fact
The attack on Cadiz took place in 1587, when Philip’s preparations for war were
already well under way. In fact, the attack delayed the sailing of the Armada, because it
put 24 Spanish ships out of action.
Myth
The attack of the Armada was an attempt to invade and conquer England. The ships
carried huge numbers of Spanish troops, armed with land-war weapons as well as
cannons for fighting at sea.
Fact
Philip did not really believe he could conquer England. But he intended to land troops
and march on London, to force Elizabeth to negotiate. The Armada was heavily
equipped for a land war. However, when it anchored at Calais, where its main fighting
force – the Duke of Parma with his 18,000 soldiers – should have joined the Armada,
they were not ready yet. They needed 6 more days to get there from Netherlands. Poor
communication meant the rendezvous was never made.
Myth
When the Armada was sighted, Francis Drake was playing bowls in Plymouth. He did
not leave until he finished the game.
Fact
There is no evidence that Drake was playing bowls at the time. But if he was, he might
as well have gone on to finish his game, as the English fleet could not get out of the
harbour. The wind was blowing from the south-west and the tide was coming in,
trapping the ships in port for several hours. Still, at least that gave the ships’
commanders time to round up their crews from taverns all over town.
Myth
Sir Francis Drake led the British fleet against the Armada.
Fact
Charles Howard was the lord admiral of the fleet and sailed in the flagship, the Ark
Royal. Drake was vice-admiral, in the Revenge, and John Hawkins was rear admiral, in
the Victory. After the initial battle, Howard organised the fleet into four independent
squadrons commanded by himself, Drake, Hawkins and Sir Martin Frobisher.
Myth
The Spanish Armada was bigger and more powerful than the English fleet.
Fact
When the Armada sailed into the Channel, it was in a crescent formation seven miles
wide. It looked vast, but consisted of just 130 ships to the English fleet’s 197. Many of
the Spanish ships were carrying land weapons and supplies but were ill equipped to
defend themselves. On their fighting ships, the Spanish had bronze cannons that were
slow to reload; the English cannons could fire almost three times as fast. Many of the
key English ships had been built to be faster than the Spanish ones. In almost every
respect, the English fleet was the more technologically advanced fighting force.
Myth
The English outclassed the Spanish with seamanship.
Fact
Yes and no. The English were skilled sailors and they fought the Armada with courage.
But their strategy was to fight mainly with cannons. It was the Spanish who took more
piratical approach, attempting to board the English ships with grappling hooks and fight
hand to hand.
Myth
The English defeated the Spanish in battle.
Fact
The so-called ’battle’ of the Armada was in fact series of attacks in the English
Channel. Several ships were damaged and one Spanish ship accidentally exploded, but
no ship on either side was sunk or destroyed by enemy fire. On the night of 28th to 29th
July, the English used small ships, which were set on fire and sent on the Spanish fleet
to scatter it. Then storms swept the Spanish into the North Sea and there many Spanish
ships ended up wrecked on the Irish rocks. As English fleet survived and saved their
country, they won. °
° http://www.historyonthenet.com/Tudors/spanish_armada.htm. HONEY, Alison. Investigating the Tudors. London: The National Trust, 1994. ISBN 0707801680.
SA5
Spanish Armada The commanders and their flagships
The commander: The duke of Medina-Sidonia and the flagship San Martin.
The duke of Medina-Sidonia was a brave and well-respected Spanish nobleman and
land soldier. However, he had no naval experience. Moreover, he suffered from
seasickness.
The second in command: Juan Martinez de Recalde and his ship Santa Anna.
Juan Martinez de Recalde was hugely experienced naval officer.
The Ships
130 ships in the Spanish Armada.
Serious fighting ships (more than 20 guns) – about 65 on the Spanish side:
Galleons: the biggest, purpose-built for war and most heavily armed.
Merchantmen: normally used for trading.
Galleasses: had oars as well as sails so were more manoeuvrable.
The Spanish also had ships transporting troops, horses and land weapons.
Design
Galleons were famous for their high forecastles, which had been death of many
boarders.
Firepower
On their fighting ships, the Spanish had bronze cannons that were slow to reload. The
ships also carried mainly land war weapons.
The crew
The Armada had about 13,000 professional sailors and volunteers and the ships also
carried about 17,000 soldiers.
Conditions were comfortable for officers, but rough for the rest. The Spanish also did
not have enough food and drink to last the voyage. However, they were prepared
medically, with two hospital ships and 93 surgeons.
Strategy
The Spanish were planning a land invasion, not a sea battle. They wanted to sail into
the Channel and anchored at Calais. There they intended to meet up with the duke of
Parma’s army (possibly 26,000 men) and escort it. Parma’s men were to have engaged
with English coastal defences while the Armada planned to disembark the troops and
the weapons. Then the combined army was supposed to march on London.°
° http://www.historyonthenet.com/Tudors/spanish_armada.htm. http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/H/history/pirates/armada3.html. HONEY, Alison. Investigating the Tudors. London: The National Trust, 1994. ISBN 0707801680. PALLISER, D.M. The Age of Elizabeth: England under the later Tudors 1547 – 1603. London: Longman Group UK Limited, 1992. ISBN 0 582 013224.
SA6 English fleet
The commanders and their flagships
Lord admiral: Charles Howard and the flagship Ark Royal.
Charles Howard was a nobleman and he came from a ship-owning family. He was a
skilled commander of men, but with little direct experience of command at sea.
Vice-admiral: Sir Francis Drake in the Revenge.
Sir Francis Drake was brilliantly skilled and the world’s best pirate.
Rear admiral: Sir John Hawkins in the Victory.
Sir John Hawkins was a skilled sailor and was responsible for modernising the English
fleet.
The Ships
197 ships in the English fleet.
Serious fighting ships (more than 20 guns) – about 75 on the English side:
• Galleons: the biggest, purpose-built for war and most heavily armed.
• Merchantmen: normally used for trading.
• Galleasses: had oars as well as sails so were more manoeuvrable.
Design
At least 20 galleons were lower and faster than the Spanish ships and could take more
guns.
Firepower
The English had more, faster-loading cannons, and their gunners were more skilled.
The crew
The English had about 15,000 professional sailors and volunteers.
Conditions were comfortable for officers, but rough for the rest. The fleet was not also
well medically prepared. There were only a few surgeons on the ships.
Strategy
English land defences were not up to fighting with Parma’s army or Spanish heavy
munitions, so their ships had to prevent the Armada making the rendezvous with the
army. Their strategy was to engage the Spanish as soon as possible and force them into
battle at sea. With perfectly equipped ships for sea battles, they would have been more
successful than on land. Success depended on whether the English could break up the
Armada’s crescent formation.°
° http://www.historyonthenet.com/Tudors/spanish_armada.htm. http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/H/history/pirates/armada3.html. HONEY, Alison. Investigating the Tudors. London: The National Trust, 1994. ISBN 0707801680. PALLISER, D.M. The Age of Elizabeth: England under the later Tudors 1547 – 1603. London: Longman Group UK Limited, 1992. ISBN 0 582 013224. STEELE, Philip. Encyclopedia of British History. Miles Kelly Publishing Ltd, 2004. ISBN 1842364758.
SA7
The story of the Spanish Armada The teacher
The Armada left Lisbon on the 20th of May 1588. It consisted of about 130 ships, and
30,493 men. At least a half of the ships was transport, and two-thirds of the men were
soldiers. However, the fleet found it necessary to put back in the harbour of Corunna
almost immediately, in order to refit. The admiral was already suggesting that the
expedition should be given up, but Philip II continued to insist, and it sailed on the 12th
of July. This time the voyage prospered and a week later …
Students
Date Spanish Armada Date English Fleet
19th
July
Armada was sighted out at sea by
English ships.
19th
July
A fast ship went back to pass on the
news; a series of beacons were lit to
pass the news as quickly as possible
along the coast.
* a beacon – a fire on top of a hill
used as a signal.
20th
July
Armada was sighted off
Cornwall’s coast.
20th
July
English fleet is prepared at Plymouth
and after delay caused by tides and
wind, it sails to meet the Armada.
21st
July
Armada got into fighting crescent
battle formation. After the English
attack the Spanish San Salvador
exploded. A Spanish sailor’s,
carelessness had resulted in a
spark reaching the gunpowder.
21st
July
English fleet is behind the Armada
and attacks some of the Spanish
ships. In the night, Drake captures
Spanish payship.*
*payship - carries the pay (wages)
owned to the sailors in the Armada.
22nd
July
Each ship in Armada is given its
instructions and the fierce battle
starts. Messenger is sent to Parma
in the Netherlands to arrange to
collect the army.
22nd
July
English is still unable to attack
properly. Even if the English ships
fire heavily on Spaniards, they do
little damage. Their ammunition runs
low.
23rd
–
24th
July
The Spanish tried to get close to
English ships so that their soldiers
could board them.
23rd
–
24th
July
The English ships were more able to
manoeuvre and they relied on firing
their cannons at the Spanish as they
quickly sailed past.
25th
July
The Spanish were doing well until
the wind changed. The Armada
was now heading towards the Isle
of Wight.
25th
July
The English fleet is divided into 4
squadrons to try to attack the Spanish
ships. English ships follow the
Armada, but have too little
ammunition to renew the attack.
26th
July
Medina-Sidonia sent messages to
the Duke of Parma telling him to
be ready to meet the Armada at
Calais and asking him to bring lots
of cannon balls because they had
used so much ammunition.
26th
July
The English ships sent messages to
the government asking for gunpowder
and ammunition as well as food (but
nothing was sent).
27th
July
The Armada anchored at the port
of Calais but discovers that
Parma’s army is not ready.
27th
July
Reinforcement ships had arrived. The
English decided to act quickly before
the Duke of Parma could arrive with
his army.
28th
–
29th
July
English set the small ships on fire
and sent them on the Armada. The
Spanish ships pushed the fireships
out of the way with long hooks but
the guns that had been left on
board began to explode and sailors
panicked, all trying to get out of
the way. The Armada’s formation
was broken. The battle of
Gravelines took eight hours of
close fighting.
28th
–
29th
July
A number of old ships was stuffed
full of things that would burn and
then they were set on fire and sent
into Calais. One Spanish ship sank
and English fleet, helped by strong
storm, drove the rest of the Armada
into North Sea.
The teacher
A change of wind blew the Armada North out of the range of English fires. However,
the wind became a gale and the Spanish were driven further to the Northern rocks.
More than 25 ships wrecked and thousands of sailors drowned or were killed by
English soldiers when they reached shore. The survived ships were forced to make their
way round the Orkneys and down the Irish coast. The remains of the once-proud
Armada returned home on the 13th of September. About half of the ships and three-
quarters of the men were lost.°
°http://www.historyonthenet.com/Tudors/spanish_armada.htm. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01727c.htm. http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/H/history/pirates/armada3.html. HONEY, Alison. Investigating the Tudors. London: The National Trust, 1993. ISBN 0 7078 01680. MULLARD, Sue. The British Empire (Beginnings). Huntingdon: Elm Publications, 1995. ISBN 185 450 307 3. MASON, James & PURKIS, Sallie. A Sense of History: Tudor and Stuart Times Evaluation Pack. Longman Group UK Limited, 1992. ISBN 0582 07314 6. PALLISER, D.M. The Age of Elizabeth: England under the later Tudors 1547 – 1603. London: Longman Group UK Limited, 1992. ISBN 0 582 013224. SWINGEHURST, Edmund. The History of the Kings & Queens of England & Scotland. Leicestershire: Armadillo Books, 2002. ISBN 1 84322 058 X.