'English Armada:' Sir Francis Drake and Sir John Norris undertake an expedition to Portugal

Historical Context Note

Litencyc Editors (Independent Scholar - Europe)
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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 19 March 2024.]

15389 'English Armada:' Sir Francis Drake and Sir John Norris undertake an expedition to Portugal 2 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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