The British Navy

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that the idea of a defensive navy, as today, was not the reason for creating a navy during the Renaissance; the English created a navy to plunder and to protect themselves from plundering, and defense was secondary. The author points out that probably one of the greatest and most well known English sea captains was Sir Francis Drake, who helped Elizabethan England fight off the advancing Spanish Armada in 1588, which sealed England's superiority on the seas. The paper relates that the actual Royal Navy really did not come about until the time of Charles V; before this time, the royals owned a few ships that were considered a navy, but there were no real rules or order to the ships or service on them.

From the Paper:

"Before the fifteenth century, Great Britain was primarily occupied with issues at home, such as the Hundred Years' War and other civil issues. Exploration was left to other countries, such as Portugal and Spain. However, during the fifteenth century, all that changed, and England began to actively pursue exploration and discovery, especially in the Atlantic. By 1496, explorers such as John Cabot, an Italian living in Bristol, had obtained permission to begin exploring the globe, especially looking for spice trades to the west, which most people felt was the way to reach Asia and the Indies. In 1497, Cabot set sail, and within three months he was back in England, convinced he had found the eastern shore of Asia. Most people believe he actually found Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, or Labrador."

More papers on The British Navy:

• Essay # 66590 : "The British Navy"
• Research Paper # 95884 : "The British Navy in World War I"
• Essay # 53702 : "The Sailors of the 19th Century British Navy"

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