When did Sir Francis Drake go around the world?
Sir Francis Drake and the Famous Voyage, 1577-1580: Essays Commemorating the Quadricentennial of Drake's Circumnavigation of the Earth. University of California Press. ISBN 9780520048768.
What was the purpose of Sir Francis Drake’s circumnavigation?
Circumnavigation of the world. The explicit object was to “find out places meet to have traffic.” Drake, however, devoted the voyage to piracy, without official reproof in England. He set sail in December with five small ships, manned by fewer than 200 men, and reached the Brazilian coast in the spring of 1578.
Who wrote the first account of Sir Francis Drake's voyage?
The earliest detailed account of the voyage was The World Encompassed by Sir Francis Drake, published in 1628, which was compiled by Drake's Nephew, based on his uncle's journal, the notes of Francis Fletcher, and other sources.
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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...
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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', ...
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.".
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 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.
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.
