Battles that Changed History, Second Period 3/12
Today, the students met back in the classroom. In the center of said classroom was a kids' inflatable pool. On one side of the pool were toy battleships. On the other, toy sailboats.
"By the late 1500s, Spain, and its king, Philip II, was uncontested ruler of the seas. An explorer working for the Spanish had 'discovered' the New World, North and South America, and Spain had new and thriving colonies and trade routes. England, meanwhile, was trying to carve out a place in the new order of things and was ruled by a queen, Elizabeth I. There were religious tensions, economic tensions, geographic tensions, and even interpersonal tensions, as Elizabeth refused to marry and let Philip have her kingdom legitimately. So he decided to invade, with the greatest fleet in the world: the Spanish Armada.
"The Armada consisted of 130 ships; the royal fleet of England, thirty-four. Elizabeth was able to muster up more ships, bringing the number in her service up to 200, including some famous privateers--government-sanctioned pirates, basically, who preyed on the Spanish and left the English alone. In fact, the commanders of the English fleet, Lord Howard and Sir Francis Drake, were both privateers of such fame and success they'd been granted titles. So the English outnumbered the Spanish, and were led by men who knew how to fight and how to fight dirty if they had to, but they were still heavily outgunned.
"On July 27, 1588, the Armada anchors off Calais, France, preparatory to crossing the channel and invading England. On July 28, the English send in hellburners, ships packed with gunpowder and set alight. They don't succeed in destroying any ships, but they do force the Armada out of formation, make them scatter apart to avoid the explosions, and the Armada's location shifts closer to Gravelines as the English close for battle. The Spanish strategy is to close tight and send men aboard the English ships to beat out victories in hand-to-hand combat. It's a strategy they've used before with great success, but the English know that and aren't about to let them get close enough. The English ships are more maneuverable, meaning they can get close enough to get the Spanish to fire, then get out of range, then swoop back into range to fire on the Spanish before they can reload. The Armada lose five ships, and the English win the day, buying themselves some breathing room. Then the English get lucky. The Spanish decide that the Channel is too risky; the English have been defending the Channel for a long time and know just how to do it, so they need to come at this from another angle. They decide to sail around Ireland, but they're ill-supplied, the men are getting sick, and then come terrible that sank more than half the Armada. Not the most glorious end, perhaps, but it put an end to the Armada, and the people of England will claim Gravelines as their great victory.
"So. What happens? The Spanish stranglehold on the seas is lifted, because they've lost more than half their ships and the ones that are left are in need of repairs. England becomes much more of an international power than it has been, and much more of a presence in the New World. You will note that we are currently speaking English instead of Spanish. And nobody messes with Elizabeth I again if they know what's good for them.
"There are other implications, of course--some say the hellburners were the first Weapons of Mass Destruction--but those are the major ones. I'd like everyone to read over their handouts, and then you can play with the boats and discuss what each side could have done differently."
"By the late 1500s, Spain, and its king, Philip II, was uncontested ruler of the seas. An explorer working for the Spanish had 'discovered' the New World, North and South America, and Spain had new and thriving colonies and trade routes. England, meanwhile, was trying to carve out a place in the new order of things and was ruled by a queen, Elizabeth I. There were religious tensions, economic tensions, geographic tensions, and even interpersonal tensions, as Elizabeth refused to marry and let Philip have her kingdom legitimately. So he decided to invade, with the greatest fleet in the world: the Spanish Armada.
"The Armada consisted of 130 ships; the royal fleet of England, thirty-four. Elizabeth was able to muster up more ships, bringing the number in her service up to 200, including some famous privateers--government-sanctioned pirates, basically, who preyed on the Spanish and left the English alone. In fact, the commanders of the English fleet, Lord Howard and Sir Francis Drake, were both privateers of such fame and success they'd been granted titles. So the English outnumbered the Spanish, and were led by men who knew how to fight and how to fight dirty if they had to, but they were still heavily outgunned.
"On July 27, 1588, the Armada anchors off Calais, France, preparatory to crossing the channel and invading England. On July 28, the English send in hellburners, ships packed with gunpowder and set alight. They don't succeed in destroying any ships, but they do force the Armada out of formation, make them scatter apart to avoid the explosions, and the Armada's location shifts closer to Gravelines as the English close for battle. The Spanish strategy is to close tight and send men aboard the English ships to beat out victories in hand-to-hand combat. It's a strategy they've used before with great success, but the English know that and aren't about to let them get close enough. The English ships are more maneuverable, meaning they can get close enough to get the Spanish to fire, then get out of range, then swoop back into range to fire on the Spanish before they can reload. The Armada lose five ships, and the English win the day, buying themselves some breathing room. Then the English get lucky. The Spanish decide that the Channel is too risky; the English have been defending the Channel for a long time and know just how to do it, so they need to come at this from another angle. They decide to sail around Ireland, but they're ill-supplied, the men are getting sick, and then come terrible that sank more than half the Armada. Not the most glorious end, perhaps, but it put an end to the Armada, and the people of England will claim Gravelines as their great victory.
"So. What happens? The Spanish stranglehold on the seas is lifted, because they've lost more than half their ships and the ones that are left are in need of repairs. England becomes much more of an international power than it has been, and much more of a presence in the New World. You will note that we are currently speaking English instead of Spanish. And nobody messes with Elizabeth I again if they know what's good for them.
"There are other implications, of course--some say the hellburners were the first Weapons of Mass Destruction--but those are the major ones. I'd like everyone to read over their handouts, and then you can play with the boats and discuss what each side could have done differently."