Francis+Drake





Francis Drake was born in 1540 in Devonshire, England. He was best known as the English mariner who circumnavigated the globe. He was chosen by Queen Elizabeth I of England in 1577 to be in charge of a voyage around the world. He was the most renowned seaman of the Elizabethan Age. He was raised by his wealthy Hawkins relatives in Plymouth, Francis went to sea when he was about 18 years old. He was the oldest son of a yeoman farmer. He was raised as a Protestant. In 1569, Drake married Mary Newman of Plymouth. But then his wife died, he then married a young aristocrat named Elizabeth Sydenham. He had no children by either wife. He died on January 28, 1596. In 1585 Elizabeth after being provoked by Philip, felt ready to send Francis. He then went aboard his command ship, the Elizabeth Bonaventure, he had instructions to release English vessels imprisoned by Philip, even though Elizabeth knew he would outdo the orders she had given him. He demolished Vigo in Spanish Galicia and then sailed to Santo Domingo and Cartagena, capturing and holding both for ransom. He would have tried to cross the Isthmus and take Panama, a project he had wanted to accomplish for years, but there were complications so he had to forget about the idea. On his way back to England he destroyed the Spanish settlement at St. Augustine, in Florida, and took the last remaining settlers at the Sir Walter Raleigh's North Carolina colony home with him. The expedition, which had reached Portsmouth in July of 1586, had achieved little treasure but had inflicted great physical and moral damage on Spain, raising English authority in the bargain enormously. Then the war began, Philip started plans to invade England. In April 1587 Drake recklessly sailed into Cadiz and destroyed or captured 37 enemy ships. He met with his first defeat in 1589, when he commanded the naval expedition sent to take Lisbon. He did not go to sea again for 5 years. He sat in Parliament, but no records show that he was there. Elizabeth had selected John Hawkins and Drake to cut off the Spanish treasure supply from the Isthmus of Panama. She gave them their own ships because they didn't work well with each other. The queen gave them the order that they only had 6 months to capture Panama, they then learned of a crippled Spanish treasure ship in San Juan, Puerto Rico, they decided to go there first. Drake had insisted on going to the Canary Islands, but their destination was revealed, and the Spaniards sent word ahead to Puerto Rico that they were coming. Hawkins had died as they reached the island, leaving Drake to command solo. The Spaniards had strengthened their San Juan defenses, and Drake failed to capture the city. Drake knew his expedition was a failure so he cruised through Honduras and back but then he had fell sick with fever and dysentry. He died off Puerto Bello on January 28, 1596, and was buried at sea. Sir Thomas Baskerville, second in command, then took Drake's place and took the expedition home to England. References    [] Drake, Francis. (2010). Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Drake, Francis. (2010). Gale Encyclopedia of Biography Drake, Francis. (2010). Who2 Profiles. Sir Francis Drake, Explorer []