Elizabethan England Topic Summaries

Naval warfare and technology

GCSE > History > Edexcel > GCSE History: Elizabethan England (1558-1603) > Conflict with Spain > Naval warfare and technology
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Key terms
  • The English navy relied on smaller, more manoeuvrable ships, like galleons, compared to the larger Spanish Armada.
  • Cannon and artillery innovations allowed English ships to attack at range.
  • Privateering combined naval skill with legal piracy, weakening Spanish shipping.
  • Francis Drake led a raid on the Spanish port of Cadiz, destroying ships and supplies. This delayed the Spanish Armada’s preparations by about a year, giving England time to strengthen defences.
  • The raid became known as the Singeing the King of Spain’s Beard and demonstrated the effectiveness of privateering and naval intelligence.

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