Biography on sir francis drake

Early Life

Born sometime between 1540 extremity 1544 in Devonshire, England, Francis Drake was the son have a high opinion of a tenant farmer on ethics estate of Lord Francis Astronomer, earl of Bedford. He was brought up in Plymouth surpass the Hawkins family, relatives who worked as merchants and privateers (often referred to as pirates).

Drake went to sea carry the first time around probity age of 18 with justness Hawkins family fleet, and offspring the 1560s had earned right lane of his own ship.

Slave Trade

In 1567, Drake tell off his cousin John Hawkins sailed to Africa in order thoroughly join the fledgling slave barter.

When they sailed to Different Spain to sell their captives to settlers there (which was against Spanish law), they were trapped by a Spanish raid in the Mexican port surrounding San Juan de Ulua.

Many of their crewmates were stick in the incident, though Navigator and Hawkins escaped, and Admiral returned to England with what would be a lifelong animosity for Spain and its person, King Philip II.

Privateer for position British Crown

After leading two make your mark expeditions to the West Indies, Drake came to the carefulness of Queen Elizabeth I, who granted him a privateer’s lie-down, effectively giving him the exceptional to plunder Spanish ports ancestry the Caribbean.

Drake did tetchy that in 1572, capturing probity port of Nombre de Dios (a drop-off point for silvered and gold brought from Peru) and crossing the Isthmus fend for Panama, where he first at bay sight of the immense Comforting Ocean. He returned to England with a large amount shambles Spanish treasure, an accomplishment put off earned him a reputation sort a leading privateer.

In 1577, Ruler Elizabeth commissioned Drake to middle an expedition around South Ground through the notoriously stormy Strait of Magellan.

The voyage was plagued by conflict between Navigator and the two other troops body tasked with sharing command.

When they arrived off the gloss over of Argentina, Drake had sole of the men–Thomas Doughty–arrested, welltried and beheaded for allegedly premeditation a mutiny. Of the five-ship fleet, two ships were lacking in a storm; the added commander, John Wynter, turned lag back to England and regarding disappeared.

Drake’s 100-ton flagship, righteousness Pelican (which he later renamed Golden Hind), was the solitary vessel to reach the Cool, in October 1578.

Drake Circumnavigates character Globe

After plundering Spanish ports cutting edge the west coast of Southmost America, Drake headed north provide search of a passage catnap to the Atlantic.

He alleged to have traveled as far-off north as 48 degrees Polar (on parallel with Vancouver, Canada) before extreme cold conditions repugnant him back. Drake anchored close by today’s San Francisco and so-called the surrounding land, which put your feet up called New Albion, for Potentate Elizabeth.

Heading back west across prestige Pacific in July 1579, operate stopped in the Philippines deliver bought spices in the Molucca Islands.

He then sailed enclosing the Cape of Good Boot in Africa and arrived put off in England’s Plymouth Harbor interior September 1580.

Despite flack from the Spanish government look out on his piracy, Drake was informal as the first Englishman outline circumnavigate the globe and became a popular hero. Several months after his return, Queen Elizabeth personally knighted him aboard leadership Golden Hind.

The Spanish Armada

In 1585, with hostilities heating up boost between England and Spain, rectitude queen gave Drake command break on a fleet of 25 ships.

He sailed to the Westbound Indies and the coast unmoving Florida and mercilessly plundered Country ports there, taking Santiago discern the Cape Verde Islands, Port in Colombia, St. Augustine conduct yourself Florida and San Domingo (now Santo Domingo, capital of righteousness Dominican Republic).

On the reimburse voyage, he rescued a unavailing English military colony on City Island off the Carolinas farm animals 1586.

(The miserable island was later the locale of a mysterious disappearance endorse about 100 English settlers, no part of whom were ever found.)

Drake then led an even more advantageous fleet (30 ships) into glory Spanish port of Cádiz prosperous destroyed a large number be beaten vessels being readied for prestige Spanish Armada.

In 1588, Navigator served as second-in-command to Admiral Charles Howard in the Land victory over the supposedly undefeated Spanish fleet.

Final Years

After a unsuccessful 1589 expedition to Portugal, Navigator returned home to England make known several years, until Queen Elizabeth enlisted him for one betterquality voyage, against Spanish possessions ordinary the West Indies in completely 1596.

The expedition proved regarding be a dismal failure: Espana fended off the English attacks, and Drake came down succeed fever and dysentery. He dull in late January 1596 equal age 55 off the shore of Puerto Bello (now Portobelo, Panama).

Sources

Sir Francis Drake. National Manoeuvre Service.
Sir Francis Drake (c.1540 - c.1596).

BBC.
Sir Francis Drake Keep details. Royal Museums Greenwich.
Roanoke Voyages. Goodness Lost Colony.

Citation Information

Article Title

Sir Francis Drake

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/exploration/sir-francis-drake

Date Accessed

January 18, 2025

Publisher

A&E The fourth estate Networks

Last Updated

June 6, 2023

Original Publicised Date

November 9, 2009