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Spanish King Philip II was certain that God was on the side of Spaniards: in 1492 Castile and Aragon expelled Muslim and Jewish neighbours and expanded size of the known earth . In the following years multiple colonies had been planted on the new American continent and Spanish ships carried gold, silver , spices and sugar back to Europe. Sun never set on the Spanish empire.
But there was one small thing: a cold Island in the north ruled by a heretic, illegitimate Queen. She declared, in defiance to Pope and King, that “ there is only one Jesus, why couldn't there be different paths to him” , and her captains raided Spanish colonies and galleons and stole gold destined for the Spanish King treasuries.
But God was definitely not on the side of the Queen. In 1570 pope Pius V excommunicated Elizabeth, in effect licensing the faithful to assassinate her. The only English colony - Roanoke - planted on American soil in 1585 had failed, colonists killed by locals. Elisabet's annual income was 10 times less than that of the Spanish King and against the invading Spanish Army of 50 thousand battle hardened soldiers Queen managed to assemble a force of 4,000 men.
In August 1588 successful invasion to the British Islands seemed to be imminent when the Spanish Armada, anchored off Calais in a tightly-packed crescent formation, was ready to load soldiers from Parma's army stationed in Holland. But on the night of August 7 Sir Francis Drake defied God and sent eight ships packed with flammables and explosives toward the anchored Spanish fleet . This action caused Spanish ships to cut their cables ...
The next day better armed and supplied English ships battered the disorganised Spanish fleet. Coming storm swept the galleons into the North Sea and England was safe again .
Events of 1588 in the English Channel echoed loudly on the place far far away: The first enduring English colony on the American continent - Colony of Virginia, was settled in 1607 and Mayflower departed from Plymouth, on September 6, 1620 . Many will follow . North America was settled by people from Northern Europe, they came with their ideas of white supremacy -independence and hard work- and with their women. Centuries later convoys of ships from the New Industrial Superpower will save Britain from another invasion from the continent .
But there was one small thing: a cold Island in the north ruled by a heretic, illegitimate Queen. She declared, in defiance to Pope and King, that “ there is only one Jesus, why couldn't there be different paths to him” , and her captains raided Spanish colonies and galleons and stole gold destined for the Spanish King treasuries.
But God was definitely not on the side of the Queen. In 1570 pope Pius V excommunicated Elizabeth, in effect licensing the faithful to assassinate her. The only English colony - Roanoke - planted on American soil in 1585 had failed, colonists killed by locals. Elisabet's annual income was 10 times less than that of the Spanish King and against the invading Spanish Army of 50 thousand battle hardened soldiers Queen managed to assemble a force of 4,000 men.
In August 1588 successful invasion to the British Islands seemed to be imminent when the Spanish Armada, anchored off Calais in a tightly-packed crescent formation, was ready to load soldiers from Parma's army stationed in Holland. But on the night of August 7 Sir Francis Drake defied God and sent eight ships packed with flammables and explosives toward the anchored Spanish fleet . This action caused Spanish ships to cut their cables ...
The next day better armed and supplied English ships battered the disorganised Spanish fleet. Coming storm swept the galleons into the North Sea and England was safe again .
Events of 1588 in the English Channel echoed loudly on the place far far away: The first enduring English colony on the American continent - Colony of Virginia, was settled in 1607 and Mayflower departed from Plymouth, on September 6, 1620 . Many will follow . North America was settled by people from Northern Europe, they came with their ideas of white supremacy -independence and hard work- and with their women. Centuries later convoys of ships from the New Industrial Superpower will save Britain from another invasion from the continent .
