Spanish Armada The Spanish Armada was a group of armed warships that tried to invade England in 1588. Bad feelings between Spain and England had existed since the 1560's. Spain was taking gold and silver from lands it had claimed in the Americas, and England wanted some of this wealth. When the Spanish Armada sailed in 1588, many of the crewmembers were inexperienced and most of the ships were lightly armed. The Spanish warships were often called …showed first 75 words of 247 total…

…showed last 75 words of 247 total…Dutch and many others damaged. Only 67 ships reached Spain, with many men dead or dying. Most of the 67 ships were in poor condition. The failure of the armada did not end the war between England and Spain it lasted until 1604. Spain remained a major power after the battle, but English traders and sailors challenged the Spaniards with great confidence throughout the world. At least a third of the Armada's sailors and soldiers never returned home.