1585

1585 was a year marked by political upheaval and early colonial ventures in the Atlantic world. In the Low Countries, Antwerp surrendered to Spanish forces under the Duke of Parma, a major turning point in the Eighty Years' War and the Dutch Revolt. The fall prompted significant displacement as Protestant merchants fled to regions with greater religious tolerance, including the northern provinces and England.

In France, the Catholic League secured the Treaty of Nemours with King Henry III, reviving severe pressure on Huguenots and extending the French Wars of Religion. The agreement intensified religious conflict within the kingdom and influenced subsequent royal policy toward Protestant communities.

In North America, English colonization efforts continued at Roanoke Island. An expedition sponsored by Sir Walter Raleigh established a temporary settlement led by Ralph Lane. The outpost faced hardship and would be abandoned within the year, contributing to the era’s uncertain outcomes for early English attempts at colonization.

In the Catholic Church, Pope Gregory XIII died in 1585 and was succeeded by Sixtus V, marking a transition in papal leadership that affected Church policy and administration in the late 16th century.

The year also saw broader ongoing geopolitical and religious tensions in Europe that shaped subsequent conflicts and migrations. As a moment in the broader late Renaissance, 1585 reflected the era’s combination of dynastic ambition, religious strife, and expanding transatlantic exploration.