The Construction and Deconstruction of English Catholicism in Spain: Fake News or White Legend?

Abstract

In the turbulent years of the Anglo-Spanish war (1585-1604) state propaganda was still underdeveloped but the contenders understood the paramount importance of shaping public opinion to support the righteousness of their cause. Much has been written about the Black Legend that was built around the Spanish character and publicised through pamphlets and broadsheets among the English people, but little to examine what sort of news were publicized in Spain about the English position in this conflict. Lack of interest and lack of information were the default position, but the few texts that saw the light in Spain were not intended to malign the image of the English and create a counter Black Legend, instead they were aimed at promoting the idea that England was primarily a Catholic country. The Spanish were led to believe that most English people were subjected by a tyrant regime that persecuted them and prevented their natural inclination to Catholic worship. The mission of Spain was therefore to liberate them. This essay explores a number of texts in which misleading and manipulated information was disseminated to promote this image of an English mostly Catholic population.