1586

1586 was a year of significant developments across Europe and the Atlantic world, set against the ongoing conflict between Catholic Spain and Protestant powers and the continuing Dutch Revolt. In the Low Countries, Spanish forces under the Duke of Parma continued to press the rebels, contributing to a shifting balance that affected trade and maritime activity in the region. In England, the political climate was dominated by counter-revolutionary efforts and intelligence work against Catholic plots.

A pivotal domestic affair was the Babington Plot, a conspiracy to assassinate Queen Elizabeth I and place Mary, Queen of Scots, on the English throne. The plot was uncovered by Sir Francis Walsingham, and Mary’s letters were deciphered in a way that led to her conviction for treason in October 1586. She was imprisoned and would be executed the following year.

In the Dutch and Spanish theaters, the Battle of Zutphen (22 September 1586) saw a Spanish victory over Dutch forces; the English commander Sir Philip Sidney was killed during the action, marking a high-cost setback for Elizabethan alliance efforts in the Netherlands.

Across the Atlantic, English colonial ventures continued with attempts to resupply the Roanoke Colony. The relief expedition that year faced delays and difficulties, and when John White eventually returned to search in 1590, the settlement was found abandoned, giving rise to the popular notion of the “Lost Colony.”

The events of 1586 reflected the broader religious and geopolitical tensions of the era and foreshadowed major developments, including Mary Stuart’s execution in 1587 and a deepening confrontation between England and Spain in the years to come.