Elizabeth I - Queen of England
Elizabeth I was the daughter of Henry VIII. Although she made Anglicanism the official state religion, she believed that there should be tolerance for those who did not follow this religion. This is known as the Elizabethan reform. Under her rule England grew in tremendous power. Her major actions included destroying the Spanish Armada in 1588 and expanding England's colonial empire.
In 1588, the King of Spain, set over an armada of ships to defeat Queen Elizabeth I. Spain was a Catholic nation who wanted to stop England from becoming Protestant. HIs armada, or force of ships, was one of the greatest the world had ever seen. By contrast, England's navy had smaller and fewer ships. However, the great English captain, Sir Francis Drake, used his smaller, which could maneuver faster than the Spanish warships to defeat King Philip. This was an important victory because England remained a Protestant nation.