Question

England wanted to trade with the Spanish colonies, but Spain warned against it. Spain began attacking English ships found near its colonies. Francis Drake and other English seamen then began attacking Spanish _______ ships and raiding Spanish towns.

Answer 1

Francis Drake attacked Spanish treasure ships as part of a state-sponsored piracy venture to weaken Spanish dominance in the Atlantic and disrupt their wealth, culminating in the weakening of the Spanish Armada in 1588.

Step-by-step explanation:

Francis Drake and other English seamen targeted Spanish treasure ships, representing England's aggressive stance against Spanish authority in the Atlantic World.

These actions were a form of state-sponsored piracy, known as privateering, which Queen Elizabeth I sanctioned to disrupt Spanish wealth flowing from the colonies and to assert English naval power.

The eruption of hostilities and predatory raids were part of a broader conflict that included the defeat of the Spanish Armada by the English fleet in 1588, thereby weakening Spain's dominance in the Atlantic and paving the way for other European powers to establish a foothold in the Americas.