Sir Francis Drake - 706 Words

Sir Francis Drake Sir Francis Drake was an English sailor, one of the most famous of the Elizabethan era. Known mostly for being the first Englishman to circle the world between 1577 and 1578, and for helping to defeat the Spanish Armada, Sir Francis Drake was a very important man in history. No birth record exists for Sir Francis Drake, but he was believed to have been born in 1541. Born in Tavistock, England, in a cottage made of tree branches, Drake was the oldest of his eleven brothers. He was the son of Mary Mylwaye Drake, and his father Edmund Drake who was a farmer. His father farmed on the same estate that Drake was born in, Lord Francis Russell’s estate, who was Francis Drake’s godfather. Francis worked for a merchant who traded with France, this is where he started to master his skills in navigation. Drake then started to work for his privateer relatives, where he seized merchant ships off the French coast. Around 1560, Drake took charge of his own ship, the Judith. Drake alone with his small fleet and the help of his cousin, went to Africa to join in the slave trade. They then tried to sell the slaves in New Spain, even though it was illegal. In 1568 they got trapped in San Juan Ulua. Many of their men died, but they escaped, and from that day on Drake hated the Spanish. In 1572 Queen Elizabeth I gave Drake a privateers commission, this same year Drake went on his first solo trip to Panama. He planned to attack Nombre de Dios. This is where SpanishShow MoreRelatedBiography on Sir Francis Drake948 Words   |  4 PagesFrancis Drake was born in 1542 in Devonshire, England. He loves the water and can always find himself going back to it over the years. Drake was the oldest of twelve children. Sir Francis Drake’s father was Edmund Drake and his mother was Mary Mlyaye Dra ke. His father worked as a farmer on the land of Lord Frances Russell. Francis Drake was named after his father’s employer which was also Drake’s god father. Drake married his first wife, Mary Newman in 1569. After twelve years of marriageRead MoreEssay on Sir Francis Drake518 Words   |  3 PagesSir Francis Drake Sir Francis Drake is known for Englands defeat of the Spanish Armada. He was a sea dog and he sailed around the world. Drake was actually the first one to sail around the world since Magellan died in his journey. Drake was a sea dog during the reign of Queen Elizabeth the first. And as everyone knows this is a good time to be a sea dog because the queen highly supported them. She gave him money and ships to raid the Spanish shipping. Drake was the most feared sea dogRead More The Life and Accomplishments of Sir Francis Drake Essay3752 Words   |  16 PagesAccomplishments of Sir Francis Drake The British Empire was a World dominant force throughout the 17th, 18th, and 19th century, but if it wasn’t for the naval defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588, the British might have never settled what would be the United States. And the person we have to thank is none other than Sir Francis Drake, a common man whose rise from a small country town, to the mighty dragon that the Spanish feared, was the most brilliant Captain during the Elizabethan Era. Sir Francis Drake’sRead MoreSir Francis Drake: A Look into His Early Life Essay835 Words   |  4 PagesSir Francis Drake: A Look into His Early Life Many scholars around the world know that Ferdinand Magellan was the first to circumnavigate the world, but few people know that Sir Francis Drake was the first to circumnavigate the world and live to tell the tale afterwards (Campbell 207). In order to complete such expeditions of circumnavigating the world, Sir Francis Drake had to learn special talents and task before embarking on his expeditions. He was given the opportunity by his mother to go learnRead MoreSir Francis Drake : A Man Who Inspired All Of England1111 Words   |  5 PagesSir Francis Drake, an Englishman, was a bold sailor who inspired all of England on his expeditions. Drake was a hero in England who was called â€Å"El Draque†, which meant â€Å"the dragon†, in Spain. Spain hated Drake because he was a big threat. Drake was most famous for his successful circumnavigation around the world. In the circumnavigation, he found many riches and spices which made him even more famous and crowned a knight by Queen Elizabeth. He proved that he was more than a famous sailor, he wasRead MoreElizabethan Pirates Essay1092 Words   |  5 Pagesthis, they accomplished very large feats. If they hadn’t worked together, winning the war would have been extremely difficult. The teamwork of the privateers is what intimidated the King of Spain and allowed them to severely damage the Armada (Sir Francis Drake). The unity of the privateers with the Royal English Navy also had a large impact on the war. If England was to win, teamwork between the Navy and the privateers was very important. If they hadn’t gotten along, several battles could have beenRead MoreFrancis Drake Essay1792 Words   |  8 Pagesname of Francis Drake for a meeting that was deeply shrouded in secrecy. Details regarding this meeting were kept from the public eye for many years, until well after the death of Francis Drake. This rendezvous was so secret, the Queen specifically ordered Drake to keep this secret from eve n one of her most trusted advisor, Lord Treasurer Burghley. The Queen commanded that no one involved discuss the specifics with anyone on pain of death. Bawlf, the author of The Secret Voyage of Sir Francis DrakeRead MoreThe Golden Age of Piracy Essay example1197 Words   |  5 Pagespolitical and economic status. Piracy was well established in the West Indies, before the English started to colonize the New World. France was the first nation to employ corsairs to raid Spanish holdings in the Caribbean during the wars between Francis the 1st and Charles V. France and other nations such as England would hire privateers by offering them commissions in their navy; or giving them letters of marque, which was state authorization to seize enemy ships and goods. England had a longRead MoreKing Philip II Of Spain1631 Words   |  7 Pagesand he had, had enough of how Elizabeth was ruling and thought that it was his duty as King to do what was right, and take Elizabeth and her army down. During this time period, Spain was the wealthiest country. In September 1580, Sir Francis Drake made numerous attacks on Spanish treasure while coming back from the New World. He returned with a cargo of Spanish gold on the galleons, which was worth 1.5 million ducats that he raided from other galleons in the New World. Elizabeth had supportedRead MoreAnalysis Of The Documentary Pirates, Galleons, And Treasure Globe Trekker 1311 Words   |  6 PagesThat handful includes Sir Francis Drake, Captain Henry Morgan, Calico Jack Rackham, Anne Bonny, Mary Read, and Blackbeard â€Å"Edward Teach†. Though these pirates are described more than others, details from their life are still left unexplained and unanswered. To begin with, Sir Drake is described as Queen Elizabeth’s â€Å"favourite privateer† and â€Å"her own legal pirate†, and is even described as a hero in England (Pirates, Galleons and Treasure, 2007). The documentary portrays Sir Drake as the perfect â€Å"pirate†