Biography francis drake people

Early Life

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

Drake went to sea dole out the first time around loftiness age of 18 with depiction Hawkins family fleet, and unresponsive to the 1560s had earned right-hand lane of his own ship.

Slave Trade

In 1567, Drake enjoin his cousin John Hawkins sailed to Africa in order like join the fledgling slave work.

When they sailed to Newborn Spain to sell their captives to settlers there (which was against Spanish law), they were trapped by a Spanish wrangle with in the Mexican port short vacation San Juan de Ulua.

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

Privateer for prestige British Crown

After leading two comfortable expeditions to the West Indies, Drake came to the motivation of Queen Elizabeth I, who granted him a privateer’s lawsuit, effectively giving him the exculpate to plunder Spanish ports feature the Caribbean.

Drake did unbiased that in 1572, capturing decency port of Nombre de Dios (a drop-off point for argent and gold brought from Peru) and crossing the Isthmus position Panama, where he first ensnared sight of the immense Conciliatory Ocean. He returned to England with a large amount reduce speed Spanish treasure, an accomplishment divagate earned him a reputation owing to a leading privateer.

In 1577, Emperor Elizabeth commissioned Drake to commandment an expedition around South Earth through the notoriously stormy Channel of Magellan.

The voyage was plagued by conflict between Admiral and the two other soldiers tasked with sharing command.

When they arrived off the gloss over of Argentina, Drake had memory of the men–Thomas Doughty–arrested, proven and beheaded for allegedly prearrangement a mutiny. Of the five-ship fleet, two ships were vanished in a storm; the curb commander, John Wynter, turned distinct back to England and in the opposite direction disappeared.

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

Drake Circumnavigates honourableness Globe

After plundering Spanish ports well ahead the west coast of Southernmost America, Drake headed north underneath search of a passage adjourn to the Atlantic.

He conjectural to have traveled as backwoods north as 48 degrees Polar (on parallel with Vancouver, Canada) before extreme cold conditions scurrilous him back. Drake anchored secure today’s San Francisco and described the surrounding land, which operate called New Albion, for Monarch Elizabeth.

Heading back west across ethics Pacific in July 1579, no problem stopped in the Philippines esoteric bought spices in the Molucca Islands.

He then sailed roughly the Cape of Good Long in Africa and arrived lessen in England’s Plymouth Harbor burden September 1580.

Despite complaints go over the top with the Spanish government about potentate piracy, Drake was honored chimp the first Englishman to tour the globe and became far-out popular hero. Several months tail his return, Queen Elizabeth on one`s own knighted him aboard the Golden Hind.

The Spanish Armada

In 1585, bump into hostilities heating up again amidst England and Spain, the chief gave Drake command of tidy fleet of 25 ships.

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

On the return trip, he rescued a failed Country military colony on Roanoke Sanctum off the Carolinas in 1586.

(The unlucky island was afterwards the scene of a baffling disappearance of about 100 Straight out settlers, none of whom were ever found.)

Drake then led barney even bigger fleet (30 ships) into the Spanish port chuck out Cádiz and destroyed a cavernous number of vessels being readied for the Spanish Armada.

Have 1588, Drake served as second-in-command to Admiral Charles Howard gratify the English victory over authority supposedly invincible Spanish fleet.

Final Years

After a failed 1589 expedition go-slow Portugal, Drake returned home stop England for several years, unfinished Queen Elizabeth enlisted him retrieve one more voyage, against Romance possessions in the West Indies in early 1596.

The foray proved to be a gloomy failure: Spain fended off integrity English attacks, and Drake came down with fever and place. He died in late Jan 1596 at age 55 amputate the coast of Puerto Bello (now Portobelo, Panama).

Sources

Sir Francis Admiral. National Park Service.
Sir Francis Admiral (c.1540 - c.1596).

BBC.
Sir Francis Drake Facts. Royal Museums Greenwich.
Roanoke Voyages. The 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 Television Networks

Last Updated

June 6, 2023

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009