Wars of the Elizabethan Era

1. Wars of the Elizabethan Era By Kimi Devey

2. 3 Main Wars • The English War with Spain from 1585 - 1603 • The Wars in Ireland • The Tyrone Rebellion, also known as the Nine Years War from 1594 - 1603

3. English War with Spain • Started due to various conflicts surrounding the wealth and power to be gained from trade from the New World • Elizabeth was excommunicated by the Pope so the fanatical Catholics in Spain saw a war and the conquest of England as a religious crusade • The escapades of the Elizabethan seamen, or pirates, included attacking Spanish vessels and taking any gold and silver and the English did nothing to stop it • August 8, 1588 - The Spanish Armada of 132 ships is defeated by the English fleet of 34 ships and 163 armed merchant vessels under Lord Howard of Effingham, Sir Francis Drake, and Sir John Hawkins

4. Aftermath: • In 1603 the war with Spain officially ended. King James I issued a decree that all acts of piracy must cease

5. Desmond Rebellion • The War in Ireland (Desmond Rebellion) sought to control Munster which was instigated by the Catholic Earl of Desmond dynasty - the Fitzgerald family of Desmond • The power, influence and religion of the Catholic Irish Lords was challenged by the English • The first rebellion started in 1569 and lasted until 1573 when hundreds of Irish rebels were executed by Drury, the new Lord President of Munster • Following the excommunication of Queen Elizabeth I in 1570 the Pope had ruled that Irish Catholics did not owe allegiance to Protestant England • The Earl of Desmond was betrayed by the O'Moriartys who received 1000 pounds of silver from the English government

6. Aftermath: • Terrible famine in Munster • The Desmond clan was defeated • The vast Desmond estates were allocated to the English who had fought in the war

7. Tyrone Rebellion (Nine Years War) • The Nine Years war was led by Hugh O’Neill, the Earl of Tyrone • The war started because the increased power of the English who had settled in Ireland and their threat to Ulster • Irish people believed that Queen Elizabeth and all Protestants were heretics • In 1599 the Earl of Essex travelled to Ireland with over 17,000 English troops

8. Tyrone Rebellion (part II) • In 1601 Essex returned to England and mounted his own rebellion against Queen Elizabeth. On 25th February 1601 Robert Devereux the Earl of Essex was executed on Tower Green • 24 March 1603 - Queen Elizabeth I dies and James I of England, James VI of Scotland is proclaimed King • The Irish surrendered, on good terms, to the new English monarch just one week after the death of Queen Elizabeth

9. Aftermath: • O’Neill, O’Donnell and the others who survived the Ulster had been granted to return back to their estates but they fled anyway • The war ended with defeat for the Irish, which led to the exiles in the Flight of the Earls

10. Sources • http://www.nlwg.org.uk/members/miker/campaign_renaissance.asp • http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/elizabethan-war.htm • http://www.highcascade.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Pirate-Ship.jpg • http://www.fredhoogervorst.com/photo/26892/ • http://www.irishgathering.ie/html/desmond.htm • www.spiritus-temporis.com • http://www.theflightoftheearls.net/CD_Large.jpg