'English Armada:' Sir Francis Drake and Sir John Norris undertake an expedition to Portugal (89 words)

Historical Context Note

Litencyc Editors (Independent Scholar - Europe)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.6.3.00: Portuguese Writing and Culture, 700-present .
Vol. editors: Stuart Green (University of Leeds), Duncan Wheeler (University of Leeds)

Context

Domains

Dates

Date of occurrence: 1589-04-13

Places

Portugal (Location)
United Kingdom, England (Involved)

In what is known as the English Armada, Sir Francis Drake and Sir John Norris undertake a counter-attack in response to the failed Spanish Armada of the previous year. They make an expedition, with 150 ships and 18,000 men to Portugal, in support of Antonio Prior of Crato, rival claimant to the throne which was seized by Philip II of Spain in 1580. They destroy Corunna but fail to take Lisbon, having lost many men to illness, and the attempt to win the Portuguese throne for Don Antonio is ultimately a failure.

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Citation: Editors, Litencyc. "'English Armada:' Sir Francis Drake and Sir John Norris undertake an expedition to Portugal". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 01 February 2011 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=15389, accessed 18 January 2022.]

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