Depth Study || Elizabethan Privateers Flashcards
1
Q
Early attempts at colonisation
A
1492 Christopher Columbus
- Credited as first European to discover the Americas
1497 John Cabot
- Claimed ‘Newfoundland’
- No english settled there, native people continued to live on as before
- English, Spanish, Portuguese and French fished off their shores
2
Q
Why did England not have a large empire by 1558?
A
- Henry VIII, Edward VI and Mary I made little effort to build an empire, instead they focused on European issues such as fear of invasion or religious disputes
- England did not have ships or equipment that was developed enough to go on long voyages
- Spain and Portugal had already taken a lot of valuable land in South America
- Lack of money and little interest from investors due to the high risk
- Lack of skills and knowledge
- No imperial policy
3
Q
What were Queen Elizabeth’s three main issues?
A
- She had to provide security to her small nation with a fleet of only 21 ships
- She needed to finance the improvement of her navy, bu inherited a depleted treasury
- She needed to expand English global influence through trade and colonisation
4
Q
How did Elizabeth provide security for England?
A
She relied upon the use of privateers such as Sir Francis Drake and John Hopkins who were able to transform her navy through innovation and command it with the aid of privately owned ships to repel the Spanish Armada on three different occasions
5
Q
How did Elizabeth solve the issue of her depleted treasury?
A
- Through the process of letters of marque (a government license) in which privateers would plunder English enemies’ ships, England was able to gain wealth as the crown received 1/5 of the plunder from privateers
- Famous privateers such as Sir francis Drake provided incredible cash revenues to the coffers of England, which enabled the Queen to ramp up her naval forces and finance further explorations
6
Q
How did Elizabeth expand English global influence?
A
- Privateers who were willing to take the risks in exchange for the financial rewards helped to solve this issue
- For instance, individuals such as Sir Walter raleigh, who tried unsuccessfully to be the first to colonise the New World and William Frobisher who sought unsuccessfully to find the short cut to the Orient and the establishment of the East India Company (which would go on to eventually become a private company which would rule an entire nation) all untook significant explorations in an attempt to further English global influence
7
Q
Examples of English privateering being used against Spain
A
- In 1568, storm-battered Spanish ships were chased by privateers and took shelter in ports in devon and Cornwall, the ships had 400,000 lorins on board meant for the Duke of Alva and his army in the Netherlands however they were seized by the English
- This escalated tensions between the English and Spanish, leading to King Phillip of Spain ordering Alva to send 10,000 troops to England in 1701
- Additionally, when hostilities had escalated between Spain and England in 1585, specific authority was given by the Queen to privateers to help defend England, with people such as Drake, Hawkins, Raleigh and Frobisher in the service of England under the guise of privateering
8
Q
Causes of the Anglo-Spanish War (1585-1604)
A
- Exploits of Spanish wealth and treasures by English privateers
- England’s open support for the Netherlands in their uprising against Spain
- Phillip’s desire to depose Elizabeth and restore the Catholic faith to England
9
Q
Key points regarding the Anglo-Spanish War
A
- Drake believed that England’s best defence against the Spanish was to strike while they were still in port
- England required more time than Spain in fitting her ships as England’s navy still only numbered around 25 and many more ships were needed to face the Spanish Armada
- Delays caused by the refitting process and the gathering of privately owned ship resulted in England not being able to attack Spain while the Armada was still in port
- July 1588, England with 25 of the Queen’s ships and supplemented by around 60+ private vessels began the engagement that beat back the Spanish Armada
- The English had several prominent privateers including Drake, John Hawkins and Martin Frobisher who were instrumental in meeting the Spanish threat
10
Q
Consequences of the Anglo-Spanish War
A
- Both Frobisher and Hawkins were knighted for their gallantry in defence of England against the Spanish Armada
- Privateers held command authority in naval planning, fitting and execution of the defence of England, and supplemented the navy by way of ships in order to match the strength of the Spanish, allowing England to achieve world power naval status
11
Q
How did privateering benefit the Crown?’
A
- Wealth accumulated by privateers was also shared with the Crown, therefore helping Elizabeth to grow her treasury, for instance, Francis Drake’s circumnavigation provided a 4700% return asa result of his plundering of both Spanish ships and land bases across Panama, Peru and New Spain
- This accumulation of wealth from privateers was then invested by the crown into the Levant Company and from that, the East India Company
- Privateers enjoyed more freedom during Elizabeth’s reign due to their vital role in securing funds for the crown
- It essentially allowed Elizabeth to build upon her military, provide funding against England’s common enemies and invest in England’s future by providing financing for global exploration
12
Q
How did the navy improve during this period?
A
- Drake’s circumnavigation encouraged commercial ambitions in the east (such as Fenton’s attempted voyage to the East Indies and Drake’s abortive Moluccas project of 1584)
- The rapid deterioration in Anglo-Spanish relations during 1570s led to different strategies to irritate Phillip II
- In 1579, Hawkins was appointed Treasurer of the Navy, he then developed a naval construction programme which set up a mixed fleet of royal and private ships to seize the Spanish fleet
- By 1587, Hawkins had created a new type of smaller streamlined vessel which was easier to handle and could stay at sea for longer periods, he also constructed a force of larger vessels with long range guns and modifie many older ships
- Queen Elizabeth’s fleet was still small (numbering around 25) but they were in top rated condition, she was also able to count on a strong reserve of merchant men and privateers who were more than willing to engage in Spanish plunder and defend England
13
Q
How did the global expansion of English interests develop during this period?
A
- English global expansion was necessary due to the need for naval bases to operate against England’s enemies for the defence of English interests and for commercial expansion of trade goods to support England’s economy
- Global expansion and colonisation was financially possible due to the financial success of privateers
- The 16th century was England’s age of exploration and adventure, for instance, Sir Walter Raleigh founded the first English colony in Virginia, Sir Francis Drake circumnavigated the globe and Sir Martin frobisher discovered the North-west passage
14
Q
How did trade in the east develop during this period?
A
- Attitude toward looking east, away from the Atlantic trade was something gaining great interest by privateers due to the many hazards faced in the Atlantic region
- The East India Company (started in December of 1600), was the first British interest in the east and began with a goal of trade as its basis however would eventually grow to rule the country
15
Q
What were the key attempts at colonisation in North America during the Elizabethan period?
A
- Gilbert’s attempt to set up a plantation overseas (1578)
- Gilbert’s attempted journey to Newfoundland
- Raleigh’s first Roanoke attempt (1585)
- Raleigh’s second Roanoke attempt (1587)
- Establishment of Jamestown Virginia by the Virginia Company (1606)
- Establishment of the Newfoundland Company (1610)
