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How many explorations did Sir Francis Drake go on?
twoPrivateer for the British Crown After leading two successful expeditions to the West Indies, Drake came to the attention of Queen Elizabeth I, who granted him a privateer's commission, effectively giving him the right to plunder Spanish ports in the Caribbean.
Was Sir Francis Drake's voyage successful?
An expedition that he led to Portugal proved abortive, and his last voyage, in 1596 against the Spanish possessions in the West Indies, was a failure, largely because the fleet was decimated by a fever to which Drake himself succumbed. He was buried at sea off the town of Puerto Bello (modern Portobelo, Panama).
How long was Francis Drake's voyage?
1020 daysDrake sailed between the five continents of Europe, Africa, North and South America and Asia, a journey taking him 1020 days. Five ships set sail in 1577 from Plymouth, the Golden Hind being the largest at 120 tons. Only the Hind completed the voyage and returned to Plymouth.
How many ships did Francis Drake leave with?
five shipsDrake voyaged around the world between 1577 to 1580. The original purpose of the trip was to raid Spanish ships and ports. The expedition left Plymouth in southwest England on 13 December comprised of five ships: the Pelican, Elizabeth, Marigold, Swan, and Christopher, manned by a total of 164 seamen.
What was Francis Drake's last voyage?
Drake's last campaign was an expedition commanded jointly by him and his old associate Sir John Hawkins, under whom his career had had such a spectacular beginning at San Juan de Ulúa, in 1567. Nearly thirty years later, they sailed from Plymouth on August 28, 1595.
What was Sir Francis Drake's most important voyage?
Francis Drake's circumnavigation, also known as Drake's Raiding Expedition, was an important historical maritime event that took place between 15 December 1577 and 26 September 1580.
Who sailed around the world first?
MagellanOne of the most noted of Portuguese-born explorers was Fernão de Magalhães (anglicized as "Magellan"), who instigated and organized the first circumnavigation of the globe from 1519 to 1522.
What was Francis Drakes route?
What was Sir Francis Drake's route? Sir Francis Drake's circumnavigation began in Plymouth, England. His fleet sailed across the Atlantic to South America before entering the Strait of Magellan. They entered the Pacific Ocean and sailed north to Vancouver Island.
Who sailed in the Golden Hind?
Sir Francis DrakeSir Francis Drake was a brilliant navigator, an excellent soldier, an accomplished politician and best remembered as an extraordinary explorer. In his most famous ship, the Golden Hind, be became the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe in an epic expedition of plunder and discovery over four hundred years ago.
Where did the Golden Hind sink?
The 102-foot vessel, a tourist attraction in the south England port of Brixham, sank after foundering at the entrance to the Dart River. ″She didn't strike anything - she just started taking in water and sank.
What did Sir Francis Drake accomplish?
Sir Francis Drake's adventurous life was filled with many accomplishments. He played a major role in the destruction and defeat of the mighty Spanish Armada. This helped England to create a great empire in the New World. He also became the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe.
What discoveries did Sir Francis Drake make?
Sir Francis Drake was an English explorer involved in piracy and illicit slave trading who became the second person ever to circumnavigate the globe. In 1577, Drake was chosen as the leader of an expedition intended to pass around South America, through the Strait of Magellan, and explore the coast that lay beyond.
What did Sir Francis Drake accomplish?
to circumnavigate the globeSir Francis Drake was the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe. ... and the second ever to complete a circumnavigation of the globe. Drake's circumnavigation of the globe was also a secret pirate mission sanctioned by Queen Elizabeth against the Spanish.
How did Sir Francis Drake defeat the Spanish Armada?
England Prepares for Invasion That April, the Queen authorized Francis Drake to make a preemptive strike against the Spanish. After sailing from Plymouth with a small fleet, Drake launched a surprise raid on the Spanish port of Cadiz and destroyed several dozen of the Armada's ships and over 10,000 tons of supplies.
Why was Drake's circumnavigation significant?
What was the significance of Drake's circumnavigation of the world 1577 – 1580? Drake was the first Englishman to circumnavigate the world. This gave the English ships and sailors an excellent reputation. Even though Drake only return with one, the Golden Hind, out his five ships.
What did Sir John Hawkins accomplish?
While several other Englishman had already taken slaves from Africa by the mid-15th Century, John Hawkins effectively set the pattern that became known as the English slave trade triangle.
What is Sir Francis Drake famous for?
Sir Francis Drake is best known for circumnavigating Earth (1577–80), preying on Spanish ships along the way. Later he was credited for his defense...
What were Sir Francis Drake’s other major achievements?
In addition to circumnavigating the world, Sir Francis Drake is known for making several voyages to the West Indies as a slave trader. He later ser...
How did Sir Francis Drake die?
During Sir Francis Drake’s final voyage to the Caribbean to raid Spanish possessions, the fleet he commanded was decimated by a fever. He died from...
Who was Francis Drake?
Sir Francis Drake ( c. 1540 – 28 January 1596) was an English explorer, sea captain, privateer, slave trader, naval officer, and politician. Drake is best known for his circumnavigation of the world in a single expedition, from 1577 to 1580.
What is Drake's most famous expedition?
Drake is best known for his circumnavigation of the world in a single expedition, from 1577 to 1580. This included his incursion into the Pacific Ocean, until then an area of exclusive Spanish interest, and his claim to New Albion for England, an area in what is now the U.S. state of California.
Why did Drake bury his treasure?
Further north in Chile a tale says that because Drake feared falling prisoner to the Spanish he buried his treasure near Arica , these being one of many Chilean stories about entierros ("burrowings").
What was Drake's first major enterprise?
In 1572, Drake embarked on his first major independent enterprise. He planned an attack on the Isthmus of Panama, known to the Spanish as Tierra Firme and the English as the Spanish Main. This was the point at which the silver and gold treasure of Peru had to be landed and sent overland to the Caribbean Sea, where galleons from Spain would pick it up at the town of Nombre de Dios. Drake left Plymouth on 24 May 1572, with a crew of 73 men in two small vessels, the Pascha (70 tons) and the Swan (25 tons), to capture Nombre de Dios.
How many barrels did Drake make?
Drake estimated that he captured around 1600–1700 tons of barrel staves, enough to make 25,000 to 30,000 barrels (4,800 m 3) for containing provisions.
What did Drake die of?
As a vice admiral, he was second-in-command of the English fleet in the victorious battle against the Spanish Armada in 1588. After unsuccessfully attacking San Juan, Puerto Rico, he died of dysentery in January 1596.
How much gold did Drake find?
Aboard Nuestra Señora de la Concepción, Drake found 36 kilograms (80 lb) of gold, a golden crucifix, jewels, 13 chests full of royals of plate and 26 thousand kilograms (26 long tons) of silver.
What was Sir Francis Drake known for?
In addition to circumnavigating the world, Sir Francis Drake is known for making several voyages to the West Indies as a slave trader. He later served Queen Elizabeth I as a privateer and naval officer charged with striking against Spain’s possessions. He also served as the mayor of Plymouth, England.
Where did Drake sail?
In July 1579 he sailed west across the Pacific and after 68 days sighted a line of islands (probably the remote Palau group). From there he went on to the Philippines, where he watered ship before sailing to the Moluccas. There he was well received by a local sultan and succeeded in buying spices. Drake’s deep-sea navigation and pilotage were always excellent, but in those totally uncharted waters his ship struck a reef. He was able to get her off without any great damage and, after calling at Java, set his course across the Indian Ocean for the Cape of Good Hope. Two years after she had nosed her way into the Strait of Magellan, the Golden Hind came back into the Atlantic with only 56 of the original crew of 100 left aboard.
What did Drake do when he was 18?
When Drake was about 18, he enlisted in the Hawkins family fleet, which prowled for shipping to plunder or seize off the French coast. By the early 1560s, he had graduated to the African trade, in which the Hawkins family had an increasing interest, and by 1568 he had command of his own ship on a Hawkins venture of illicit slave-trading in the Spanish colonies of the Caribbean.
What was Drake's purpose in the voyage?
In 1577 he was chosen as the leader of an expedition intended to pass around South America through the Strait of Magellan and to explore the coast that lay beyond. The expedition was backed by the queen herself. Nothing could have suited Drake better.
How did Francis Drake die?
He died from fever , or possibly dysentery associated with the condition, at sea on January 28, 1596, near Portobelo, Panama . He was buried at sea, supposedly in a lead coffin.
When did Francis Drake first see the Pacific Ocean?
An obscure period of Drake’s life follows; he makes almost no appearance in the records until 1577. Francis Drake views the Pacific Ocean for the first time, from a tree on the Isthmus of Panama, illustration from 1906, by T.H. Robinson. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content.
Who was Francis Drake's father?
Born on the Crowndale estate of Lord Francis Russell, 2nd earl of Bedford, Drake’s father, Edmund Drake, was the son of one of the latter’s tenant farmers. Edmund fled his native county after arraignment for assault and robbery in 1548. The claim that he was a refugee from Roman Catholic persecution was a later pious fiction. From even before his father’s departure, Francis was brought up among relatives in Plymouth: the Hawkins family, who combined vocations as merchants and pirates.
Who was Sir Francis Drake?
Queen Elizabeth rewarded his success. In 1581, the Queen knighted him. So he was now Sir Francis Drake. He became mayor of Plymouth for the next four years.10 When hostilities between Spain and England worsened, Drake once again went to sea.
What was Sir Francis Drake's greatest achievement?
Sir Francis Drake’s adventurous life was filled with many accomplishments. He played a major role in the destruction and defeat of the mighty Spanish Armada. This helped England to create a great empire in the New World. He also became the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe.
What did Drake do to the Spanish?
Drake raided several Spanish ships and outposts along Chile and Peru. After capturing and destroying several Spanish vessels, and taking their riches, Drake and his crew continued onward. The other ships had either turned back for home or had been damaged and lost at sea.7 After passing through the Strait of Magellan, Drake began making his way up what would become the west coast of the United States. He made it as far as present day Vancouver Island before heading back south down the coast. He stopped briefly near modern day Coos Bay, Oregon, and then continued on. He charted much of the unknown west coast of North America. In June 1579, Drake landed at Point Reyes, near present day San Francisco, California, and claimed the land for Queen Elizabeth and England.8 Here, the English interacted with the friendly Miwok natives for several weeks. The Golden Hind left the area on July 23, 1579, and headed for home.9 They sailed across the Pacific Ocean. For almost 2 months they saw no land. They eventually reached the Molucca Islands (present day Indonesia). After a brief stay, they sailed again, rounding the southern tip of Africa, and headed north to England. After almost three years sailing around the world, the Golden Hind reached England on September 26, 1580. Although he was the second person to circumnavigate the world, he was the first Englishman to do it.
What did Francis Drake learn from his childhood?
While here, Drake was taught several skills that a sailor would have, including how to sail and how to navigate, and was also provided food and shelter.
Why did Drake leave England?
By 1587, Drake once more left England to attack the Spanish. He destroyed a fleet in Portugal which delayed a Spanish attack on England. After a few more encounters with the Spanish, Drake went back to Plymouth for several years. His next expedition would be less fortunate.
What did Elizabeth I give Drake?
Elizabeth I gave Drake command of an expedition to set up English trading posts in the Pacific.4 But Drake also had his own plans. He planned to continue raiding Spanish fleets, and attacking Spanish settlements in South America. Drake and his fleet left from the port of Plymouth in England on December 13, 1577.
Where did Drake land?
He charted much of the unknown west coast of North America. In June 1579, Drake landed at Point Reyes, near present day San Francisco, California, and claimed the land for Queen Elizabeth and England.8 Here, the English interacted with the friendly Miwok natives for several weeks.
What was the name of the voyage that Francis Drake sailed on?
Kinsale. Francis Drake's circumnavigation, also known as Drake's Raiding Expedition, was an important historical maritime event that took place between 15 December 1577 and 26 September 1580. Authorised by Queen Elizabeth I and led by Francis Drake; the latter sailed with five ships in what was termed a 'voyage of discovery', ...
How many miles did Drake have to travel before he reached England?
On 24 March Drake sailed off and caught a good wind, and next entered the Indian Ocean; he had roughly 11,000 miles to go before he reached England.
Why was Francis Drake renamed the Golden Hinde?
Drake renamed the Pelican as the Golden Hinde on 20 August 1578 [31] to honour his patron, Sir Christopher Hatton, whose family crest was a golden hind (fe male red deer). Drake passed through the Strait of Magellan in just 16 days.
What happened to Drake during the voyage across the Atlantic?
During the long voyage across the Atlantic, Drake's hostility increased, fuelled by the rancour of his brother. As a result, Drake eventually demoted Doughty to command of the Swan. This insult proved too much for Doughty to take, and he began to complain bitterly about "the Captain General.".
What was the purpose of the Drake expedition?
The expedition also intended to explore areas where there could be potential English settlement – the first of its kind. Elizabeth and members of her court, including Robert Dudley, Christopher Hatton and Francis Walsingham (now Elizabeth's Secretary of State) were among those who invested in Drake's voyage and secretly supported his privateering – the looting of Spanish ships and ports. Other prominent members were Clerk of the Queen's ships – George Wynter, Surveyor of the Navy – William Wynter and Sir John Hawkins.
How much was Drake's treasure?
25,000 pesos of amounting in value to 37,000 ducats. In addition a golden crucifix and jewels completed the total worth around 360,000 pesos (about £7m by modern standards). In total the treasure amounted to the equivalent to around £480m in today's terms. There was so much treasure that the silver bars replaced the Golden Hinde' s ballast. The crew could not believe their luck and were overjoyed at the sight of the Spanish galleon's treasure, and their morale reached a new high. Drake was also pleased at his good luck, and he showed it by dining with Cagafuego ' s officers and gentleman passengers. He offloaded his captives a short time later, and gave each one gifts appropriate to their rank, as well as a letter of safe conduct. Through Diego, Drake was able to bluff the Spanish and made it clear that there were other English ships in the area such as the Elizabeth under John Wynter (even though he had returned home) in order to cause some kind of panic and confusion and lead the Spanish into a wild-goose chase.
Why did Drake sail north?
Drake sailed north to seek a shortcut back to England via the hypothetical Strait of Anián, a supposedly navigable shortcut connecting the Pacific and Atlantic. The strait, a fanciful idea similar to the Fountain of Youth, was speculated to exist at about 40 degrees north.
Overview
Circumnavigation (1577–1580)
With the success of the Panama isthmus raid, in 1577 Elizabeth I of England sent Drake to start an expedition against the Spanish along the Pacific coast of the Americas. Drake acted on the plan authored by Sir Richard Grenville, who had received royal patent for it in 1574. Just a year later the patent was rescinded after protests from Philip of Spain.
Birth and early years
Francis Drake was born in Tavistock, Devon, England. Although his birth date is not formally recorded, it is known that he was born while the Six Articles of 1539 were in force. His birth date is estimated from contemporary sources such as: "Drake was two and twenty when he obtained the command of the Judith" (1566). This would date his birth to 1544. A date of c. 1540 is suggested from …
Marriage and family
Francis Drake married Mary Newman at St. Budeaux church, Plymouth, in July 1569. She died 12 years later, in 1581. In 1585, Drake married Elizabeth Sydenham—born circa 1562, the only child of Sir George Sydenham, of Combe Sydenham, who was the High Sheriff of Somerset. After Drake's death, the widow Elizabeth eventually married Sir William Courtenay of Powderham.
Early career at sea
Scholars think it is likely Francis Drake was illegitimate , and that is probably why he was placed at an early age into the household of William Hawkins of Plymouth. Drake began his seagoing training as an apprentice on Hawkin's boats. By 18, he was a bursar, and in the 1550s, Drake's father found the young man a position with the owner and master of a small barque, one of the small traders plying between the Medway River and the Dutch coast. Drake likely engaged in co…
Rathlin Island massacre
Drake was present at the 1575 Rathlin Island massacre in Ireland. Acting on the instructions of Sir Henry Sidney and the Earl of Essex, Sir John Norreys and Drake laid siege to Rathlin Castle. Despite their surrender, Norreys' troops killed all the 200 defenders and more than 400 civilian men, women and children of Clan MacDonnell. Meanwhile, Drake was given the task of preventing any Gaelic Irish or Scottish reinforcements reaching the island. Therefore, the remaining leader …
Purchase of Buckland Abbey
In 1580, Drake purchased Buckland Abbey, a large manor house near Yelverton, Devon, via intermediaries from Sir Richard Greynvile. He lived there for fifteen years, until his final voyage, and it remained in his family for several generations. Buckland Abbey is now in the care of the National Trust and a number of mementos of his life are displayed there.
Political career
Drake was politically astute, and although known for his private and military endeavours, he was an influential figure in politics during the time he spent in Britain. Often abroad, there is little evidence to suggest he was active in Westminster, despite being a member of parliament on three occasions.
After returning from his voyage of circumnavigation, Drake became the Mayor of Plymouth, in Se…