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What dates did Sir Francis Drake explore?

Drake voyaged around the world between 1577 to 1580. The original purpose of the trip was to raid Spanish ships and ports.

Why is Francis Drake important to history?

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 of England by raiding Spain's harbour at Cádiz in 1587 and (according to many sources) by disrupting the Spanish Armada in the English Channel with fire ships in 1588.

What were Sir Francis Drake accomplishments?

Sir 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.

What was Francis Drake's biggest accomplishment?

Drake would go on to other exploits, including having a major role in England's defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588, but his circumnavigation of the world remains his most important achievement.

What places did Francis Drake discover?

He sailed to the West Indies and the coast of Florida and mercilessly plundered Spanish ports there, taking Santiago in the Cape Verde Islands, Cartagena in Colombia, St. Augustine in Florida and San Domingo (now Santo Domingo, capital of the Dominican Republic).

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.

How many years did Francis Drake explore?

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. When Drake returned to England, he brought with him much treasure. Queen Elizabeth rewarded his success.

What challenges did Francis Drake face?

There were storms and rough weather. Two ships were lost in a storm near South America. When he sailed up North America's west coast, looking for the Northwest Passage, he faced bitter, freezing cold. And there were always dangers like starvation, illness, mutinies, and being lost at sea.

What was Sir Francis Drake's ship called?

Golden HindHe sailed from Plymouth on Dec. 13, 1577. The squadron consisted of five vessels, the two larger ships being the Pelican, Drake's own ship, renamed Golden Hind on the voyage, on August 20, 1578; and the Elizabeth, commanded by John Winter.

What happened to the Golden Hind?

After Drake's circumnavigation, Golden Hind was maintained for public exhibition at the dockyard at Deptford, London. The ship remained there from 1580 to around 1650, 45 years after Elizabeth had died, before the ship eventually rotted away and was broken up.

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.

Where did Sir Francis Drake bury his treasure?

Legend says that because Drake was afraid that he could be captured by the Spanish he decided to stop near Arica, Chile to bury his treasures consisting of 800 bars of silver, 123 bars of gold and 500,000 silver coins.

Did Francis Drake sail around the world?

The Famous Voyage: The Circumnavigation of the World, 1577-1580. Drake was noted in his life for one daring feat after another; his greatest was his circumnavigation of the earth, the first after Magellan's. He sailed from Plymouth on Dec. 13, 1577.

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 happened to the Golden Hind?

After Drake's circumnavigation, Golden Hind was maintained for public exhibition at the dockyard at Deptford, London. The ship remained there from 1580 to around 1650, 45 years after Elizabeth had died, before the ship eventually rotted away and was broken up.

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.

Where did Sir Francis Drake travel to?

Sir Francis Drake spent much of his career on privateering missions to the Caribbean. On the Atlantic stretch of his circumnavigation voyage, he we...

Who explored with Francis Drake?

Sir Francis Drake explored with a large number of people. His fleet possessed several ships crewed with sailors from England. Thomas Doughty became...

How long was Sir Francis Drake's voyage?

Sir Francis Drake's voyage of circumnavigation began in December of 1577. The voyage lasted three years, returning to England on September 26, 1580.

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 o...

Where did Drake go when he arrived in England?

He then sailed around the Cape of Good Hope and arrived back in England’s Plymouth Harbor in September 1580. Despite complaints from the Spanish government about his piracy, Drake was honored as the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe and became a popular hero. Several months after his return, Queen Elizabeth personally knighted him aboard the Golden Hind.

What did Drake do to the Spanish?

In 1585, with hostilities heating up again between England and Spain, the queen gave Drake command of a fleet of 25 ships. He sailed to the West Indies and the coast of Florida and mercilessly plundered Spanish ports there, taking Santiago in the Cape Verde Islands, Cartagena in Colombia, St. Augustine in Florida and San Domingo (now Santo Domingo, capital of the Dominican Republic). On the return voyage, he picked up the failed colonists from Roanoke Island off the Carolinas, the first English colony in North America. Drake then led an even bigger fleet (30 ships) into the Spanish port of Cádiz and destroyed a large number of vessels being readied for the Spanish Armada. In 1588, Drake served as second-in-command to Admiral Charles Howard in the English victory over the supposedly invincible Spanish fleet.

Where did Drake go after he plundered Spanish ports?

After plundering Spanish ports along the west coast of South America, Drake headed north in search of a passage back to the Atlantic. He claimed to have traveled as far north as 48° N (on parallel with Vancouver, Canada) before extreme cold conditions turned him back. Drake anchored near today’s San Francisco and claimed the surrounding land, which he called New Albion, for Queen Elizabeth.

Why did Drake and Hawkins sail to New Spain?

They then sailed to New Spain to sell their captives to settlers, an action that was against Spanish law. In 1568, Drake and Hawkins became trapped in the Mexican port of San Juan de Ulúa in a face off with the newly established Spanish viceroy's forces.

Sir Francis Drake: Explorer Overview

Sir Francis Drake was an English privateer and explorer during the late 16th century. As England sought to compete with the Spanish Empire and establish its own colonial presence in North America, Drake played a crucial role in their efforts.

Sir Francis Drake: Timeline and Early Life

Sir Francis Drake's life was shaped by the world in which he was born. It was the middle of the 16th century, and Europe was undergoing dramatic changes brought about by the opening of sea routes to North America. Spain and Portugal had, by this point, firmly established their overseas empires.

Drake's Career as a Privateer

After the battle of San Juan de Ulúa, relations between England and Spain deteriorated rapidly. They maintained a tentative peace, but the Spanish renewed efforts to protect their trade. England began secretly hiring privateers, which were essentially state-sanctioned pirates, to disrupt Spanish trade routes.

Sir Francis Drake: Route and Circumnavigation of the World

In 1577, Francis Drake set out on an ambitious expedition to plunder Spanish trade in the Pacific. He had the political backing of Elizabeth I and financial backing from numerous wealthy patrons. The voyage began at Plymouth on December 13, 1577, with several vessels, including the Pelican, which was renamed the Golden Hind later in the journey.

What is Sir Francis Drake's life?

Contents. Sir Francis Drake’s Early Life and Hatred for Spain. Sir Francis Drake: Privateer for the British Crown. Sir Francis Drake Circumnavigates the Globe. Sir Francis Drake: Defeat of the Spanish Armada, Later Years and Death. Sir Francis Drake participated in some of the earliest English slaving voyages to Africa and earned a reputation ...

What did Drake do in 1577?

In 1577, Queen Elizabeth commissioned Drake to lead an expedition around South America through the Straits of Magellan.

What happened to Drake in 1596?

The expedition proved to be a dismal failure: Spain fended off the English attacks, and Drake came down with fever and dysentery. He died in late January 1596 at age 55 off the coast of Puerto Bello (now Portobelo, Panama).

What did Drake do to the Spanish?

In 1585, with hostilities heating up again between England and Spain, the queen gave Drake command of a fleet of 25 ships. He sailed to the West Indies and the coast of Florida and mercilessly plundered Spanish ports there, taking Santiago in the Cape Verde Islands, Cartagena in Colombia, St. Augustine in Florida and San Domingo (now Santo Domingo, capital of the Dominican Republic). On the return voyage, he picked up a failed English military colony on Roanoke Island off the Carolinas. Drake then led an even bigger fleet (30 ships) into the Spanish port of Cádiz and destroyed a large number of vessels being readied for the Spanish Armada. In 1588, Drake served as second-in-command to Admiral Charles Howard in the English victory over the supposedly invincible Spanish fleet.

What did Drake do to gain the right to plunder Spanish ports in the Caribbean?

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.

Why was Thomas Doughty beheaded?

When they arrived off the coast of Argentina, Drake had one of the men–Thomas Doughty–arrested, tried and beheaded for allegedly plotting a mutiny. Of the five-ship fleet, two ships were lost in a storm; the other commander, John Wynter, turned one back to England and another disappeared.

Where did Drake go after plundering Spanish ports?

After plundering Spanish ports along the west coast of South America, Drake headed north in search of a passage back to the Atlantic. He claimed to have traveled as far north as 48° N (on parallel with Vancouver, Canada) before extreme cold conditions turned him back.

How did Drake become famous?

Drake's successful circumnavigation led to him being held with high regard as a sailor and explorer by his contemporaries and he became famous throughout Europe. The value of the treasure deposited in the Tower of London, £264,000, eclipsed the revenue collected by the English Parliament each year. Drake's feat resulted in his knighthood; attempts to the strengthen Spanish defenses; and along with the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588, upsets the geopolitical balance of power.

What was Drake's plan for the voyage?

During this time, Drake developed the idea to plunder Spanish ships in the Pacific Ocean and John Dee developed a formal proposal for English circumnavigation. After Dee submitted his proposal to Elizabeth's Privy Council, Elizabeth and Drake met at her Greenwich palace in 1577 where they finalized written details of such a voyage. In the plan, Elizabeth directed Drake to pass through the Strait of Magellan and sail north, up the cost of Chile, to 30° south latitude. There was also the unwritten understanding, one too dangerous to record on paper, that Drake was to raid Spanish property. He was to return home by the same route. During the ensuing circumnavigation , an uncertain number of English sailors will be lost at the cost of zero Spanish lives.

What does Drake offer to the sailors?

Drake subsequently offers Marigold to any who wish to return to England. All decline. During a Sunday religious service, Drake gives a sermon in which he unites the crew by urging that the common sailors cease despising the gentlemen and that the gentlemen work alongside the sailors at all tasks. Morale slowly rises through the month of July as the men prepare the fleet for navigating the Strait of Magellan. On 17 August, the fleet sets sail with the three remaining ships, Marigold, Elizabeth, and Pelican .

What does Drake dismiss James Sydae for?

Amidst embarrassment and castigation in the awkward situation, Drake dismisses James Sydae for unsatisfactorily provisioning the ships for the voyage. The dismissal leads to spoken displeasure from Thomas Doughty, to carpenter Edward “Ned” Bright, about Drake's command. Additionally, Doughty makes other private comments describing his influence and authority in terms as equal to that of Drake's. Drake sails from Plymouth to the coast of north-west Africa.

What is the name of the ship that Drake learns about?

He learns of a ship anchored at Callao, belonging to Miguel Angel, which is taking a cargo of silver to Panama. Drake is also informed that another ship, Nuestra Señora de la Concepción, informally referred to as Cacafuego, has recently departed from the port. She is a 120-ton vessel commanded by Captain San Juan de Antón who is entirely unaware of any threat from English ships. Since the Spanish vessel is heavily laden with silver and will be stopping at other ports, Drake believes he can overtake her.

How many men does Drake impress?

Drake impresses two men from the ship and releases her.

How does Drake interact with the indigenous people?

Drake nurtures friendly relations with the indigenous people by using patience and gifts. The two groups interact daily and entertain each other with music and dancing. One inhabitant opportunistically snatches Drake's scarlet hat from his head. Drake reacts with humor and does not try to retrieve the stolen item. On 3 June, they weighed anchor and sailed south.

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.

Where was Francis Drake born?

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 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 two portraits: one a miniature painted by Nicholas Hilliard in 1581 when he was allegedly 42, so born circa 1539, while the other, painted in 1594 when he was said to be 52, would give a birth year of around 1541. Lady Elliott-Drake, the collateral descendant, and final holder of the Drake Baronetcy, argued in her book on 'The Family and Heirs of Sir Francis Drake' that Drake's birth year was 1541.

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 did Drake die of?

Drake dies of dysentery on the return journey after failing to capture Panama City.

What did Drake do to the Spanish settlements?

Drake raids and destroys many Spanish settlements in the Caribbean.

What estate did Drake buy?

Drake buys the first of his Devonshire estates, Buckland Abbey.

Where did Drake sail with Captain Lovell?

Drake sails with Captain Lovell to the Caribbean on a slave trading enterprise.

Where did Drake discover New Albion?

Drake discovers the coast of Upper California and names it New Albion. Drake stops in what is now the vicinity of the San Francisco Bay to overhaul his ship and makes friendly contract with the Indians of the area.

Who is Drake in Plymouth?

Drake serves as a member of parliament for Plymouth.

Who was Drake's cousin?

John Hawkins, Drake's cousin, embarks on a slave trade expedition to West Africa and West Indies.

Early Life

Slave Trade

Privateer For The British Crown

Drake Circumnavigates The Globe

The Spanish Armada

Final Years

• After a failed 1589 expedition to Portugal, Drake returned home to England for several years, until Queen Elizabeth enlisted him for one more voyage, against Spanish possessions in the West Indies in early 1596. The expedition proved to be a dismal failure: Spain fended off the English attacks, and Drake came down with fever and dysentery. He died ...

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