Francis Drake

Who Was Sir Francis Drake?

Sir Francis Drake was an English explorer, privateer, and navigator, best known for his significant role in maritime history and his controversial involvement in piracy and the slave trade. He became the second person ever to circumnavigate the globe, a feat that cemented his legacy. In 1577, Queen Elizabeth I appointed Drake to lead an expedition to navigate the Strait of Magellan and explore the uncharted coasts beyond South America. His successful journey earned him a knighthood upon his return. Drake is also renowned for his participation in the 1588 defeat of the Spanish Armada, a pivotal moment in English history. He passed away in 1596 from dysentery after an unsuccessful raiding campaign in the West Indies.

Early Life

Sir Francis Drake’s birth remains somewhat mysterious, as there are no surviving records. However, it is generally believed that he was born between 1540 and 1544. Drake was the eldest of twelve children born to Mary Myllwaye and Edmund Drake, a farmer who worked on the estate of Lord Francis Russell, the second Earl of Bedford.

Drake’s early years were marked by an affinity for the sea, and he was eventually apprenticed to a merchant shipmaster, where he gained experience navigating coastal waters. His aptitude for navigation led to his enlistment by his relatives, the Hawkins family, who were privateers engaging in raids on Spanish ships off the coast of France.

Involvement in the Slave Trade

By the 1560s, Drake was given command of his own vessel, the Judith. In collaboration with his cousin, John Hawkins, Drake became embroiled in the illegal transatlantic slave trade. The pair sailed to Africa to capture enslaved people, then transported them to the Spanish colonies in the Americas, violating Spanish colonial laws in the process. In 1568, during a mission to the Mexican port of San Juan de Ulúa, Drake and Hawkins’ fleet was ambushed by the forces of the Spanish viceroy. Though they managed to escape, many of their men were killed, an event that fueled Drake’s deep animosity towards Spain and its crown.

First Commission from Queen Elizabeth I

In 1572, Sir Francis Drake received a privateer’s commission from Queen Elizabeth I, which granted him official permission to plunder the property of King Philip II of Spain. That year, Drake embarked on his first independent voyage, setting sail from Plymouth, England, to Panama. His objective was to attack the town of Nombre de Dios, a strategic port used by the Spanish to offload silver and gold from Peru.

With two ships and a crew of 73 men, Drake successfully captured the town. However, during the raid, he was seriously wounded, forcing him and his crew to withdraw without securing significant treasure. After Drake’s recovery, they spent additional time in the region, raiding several Spanish settlements and amassing a considerable amount of gold and silver. They returned to Plymouth in 1573.

Circumnavigating the Globe

Buoyed by the success of his Panama expedition, Queen Elizabeth I sent Drake on another mission in late 1577, directing him to target Spanish holdings along the Pacific coast of South America. She also secretly tasked him with exploring the Northwestern coast of North America in search of a potential Northwest Passage.

Drake set out with five ships, accompanied by key officers, including John Winter and Thomas Doughty. Tensions soon arose between Drake and Doughty, possibly due to political maneuvering. Upon reaching the coast of Argentina, Drake accused Doughty of plotting a mutiny. After a brief trial, Doughty was convicted and executed.

Drake continued his journey, navigating the treacherous Strait of Magellan to reach the Pacific Ocean. Soon after, a storm forced Winter’s ship to turn back, leaving Drake with only his flagship, the Golden Hind. Despite persistent storms, Drake pressed on, raiding Spanish ships off the coasts of Chile and Peru, securing vast amounts of bullion. He reputedly landed on the coast of California, claiming the territory for Queen Elizabeth I.

There remains some debate among historians regarding the full extent of Drake’s voyage. Some suggest that he may have reached as far as the Oregon coast, British Columbia, or even Alaska. In 2012, the U.S. government formally recognized a cove on California’s Point Reyes Peninsula as Drake’s landing site, a decision championed by the Drake Navigators Guild.

After making repairs and resupplying, Drake sailed across the Pacific, through the Indian Ocean, and around the Cape of Good Hope, finally returning to Plymouth in 1580. He became the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe and the second person ever to complete the feat, after Juan Sebastián Elcano, who had taken over Ferdinand Magellan’s expedition following his death.

Drake’s wealth from the treasures he had captured earned him a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth I in 1581. That same year, he was appointed mayor of Plymouth and became a member of the House of Commons.

Battle with the Spanish Armada

Between 1585 and 1586, tensions between England and Spain escalated, leading Queen Elizabeth I to unleash Drake in a series of raids against Spanish territories in North and South America. These raids inflicted considerable damage on Spanish morale and contributed to King Philip II’s decision to invade England. In retaliation, he ordered the construction of a massive armada of warships.

In a preemptive strike, Drake conducted a raid on the Spanish city of Cadiz in 1587, destroying over 30 ships and capturing thousands of tons of supplies. English philosopher Francis Bacon would later describe this as “singeing the King of Spain’s beard.”

In 1588, Drake was appointed vice admiral of the English Navy under Lord Charles Howard. On July 21, 130 ships of the Spanish Armada entered the English Channel, where they were met by the English fleet. The English employed long-range cannon fire, significantly damaging the Armada over the following days.

On July 27, the Spanish fleet anchored off Calais, France, in hopes of joining forces with Spanish soldiers for the invasion. The following night, Drake and Howard orchestrated the use of fire ships to disrupt the Spanish formation. While the fire ships caused minimal damage, they created panic among the Spanish, prompting many captains to cut anchor and scatter. Strong winds then pushed many of the Spanish ships toward the North Sea, with the English fleet in pursuit.

At the Battle of Gravelines, the English fleet gained the upper hand, as the slower Spanish galleons were vulnerable to swift English attacks. By late afternoon, the English withdrew. Forced to retreat, the Armada sailed north around Scotland, but many ships were wrecked by storms off the Irish coast. Thousands of Spaniards perished, and those who reached land were executed by English authorities. Fewer than half of the original fleet returned to Spain, sustaining heavy casualties.

In 1589, Queen Elizabeth I dispatched Drake to destroy the remaining Armada ships and assist Portuguese rebels in Lisbon against Spanish occupation. However, the mission ended in failure, with significant losses in men and resources. Drake returned to England and focused on his duties as mayor of Plymouth in the following years.

Death

In 1595, Queen Elizabeth I called upon Drake and his cousin, John Hawkins, to disrupt Spain’s treasure supply in Panama, with the aim of weakening Spain’s finances during the ongoing Anglo-Spanish War. After an unsuccessful attempt at Nombre de Dios, Drake’s fleet sailed further west and anchored off Portobelo, Panama. It was there that Drake contracted dysentery and died on January 28, 1596. He was buried at sea in a lead coffin near Portobelo. Divers continue to search for his final resting place.