Battle of San Juan (1595)

The Battle of San Juan (1595) was a Spanish victory during the Anglo–Spanish War. This war broke out in 1585 and was fought not only in the European theatre but in Spain's American colonies.

Course

After emerging from six years of disgrace following the resounding defeat of the English Armada at Lisbon in 1589, Francis Drake embarked on a long and disastrous campaign against Hispanic America, suffering several consecutive defeats there. On 22 November 1595 Drake and John Hawkins tried to invade San Juan with 27 ships and 2,500 men. After failing to be able to land at the Ensenada del Escambron on the eastern end of San Juan Islet, he attempted to sail into San Juan bay with the intention of sacking the city^[4].

Unable to capture the island, following the death of his comrade, John Hawkins, Drake abandoned San Juan, and set sail for Portobello where he died from disease and received a burial at sea.

Results

This and a series of other English defeats facilitated Spanish hegemony over its overseas colonial empire and the Caribbean Sea.

Drake, in mid-January 1596 (aged 56), was diagnosed with the dystentry that killed him on the 28th January that year - this was most likely caught during the Puerto Rico campaign, since during the second attack on Puerto Rico an outbreak of dysentry killed 400 English soldiers, forcing George Clifford to abandon plans to make San Juan a permanent English base in the Antilles.

Notes

References

• Konstam, Angus (2008). Piracy: the complete history. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 9781846032400. 
• Van Middeldyk, R. A. (2008). The History of Puerto Rico. Teddington, UK: Echo Library. ISBN 9781406874976.