Francis Drake

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Thomas Cavendish (1560-92), Sir Francis Drake (1540?-96) and Sir John Hawkins (1532-95) RMG BHC2603.f

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Golden Hinde, Londres, Inglaterra, 2014-08-11, DD 107

Drake CA 1590

Sir Francis Drake (c. 1540 – 28 January 1596) was an English sea captain, privateer, navigator, slaver, and politician of the Elizabethan era. Drake carried out the second circumnavigation of the world in a single expedition, from 1577 to 1580, and was the first to complete the voyage as captain while leading the expedition throughout the entire circumnavigation. For his exploits against the Spanish Empire, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I.

Early Life

Little is known of Drake's early life. He was born in Tavistock, Devon, around 1540. The son of a farmer, he was apprenticed to a neighbour, a sea captain who traded with France and the Low Countries. Drake's seafaring career began under this tutelage.

Circumnavigation of the Globe

In 1577, Drake was secretly commissioned by Queen Elizabeth I to embark on an expedition against the Spanish along the Pacific coast of the Americas. He set sail aboard the Pelican, later renamed the Golden Hind, with a fleet of five ships. Drake's fleet was plagued by conflict, severe storms, and attacks by Spanish forces, but he successfully claimed new territories for the English Crown and captured significant treasure from Spanish ships and settlements.

Drake's circumnavigation was not only a feat of navigation and endurance but also had significant political and economic implications. It exacerbated tensions between England and Spain, leading to the Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604). Economically, the treasure Drake seized greatly enriched the English treasury and funded further expeditions and military campaigns.

Conflict with Spain

Drake's success against the Spanish made him a hero in England but a pirate in Spain, where he was known as El Draque. His most notable military achievement came in 1587 when he launched a pre-emptive strike against the Spanish Armada in the port of Cadiz, delaying its invasion by a year. This action, known as the "singeing of the King of Spain's beard", further cemented his reputation as a formidable naval commander.

In 1588, Drake served as vice admiral in the English fleet that defeated the Spanish Armada, a turning point in European history that helped ensure English dominance of the seas.

Later Years and Death

After the defeat of the Armada, Drake's fortunes waned. His last two expeditions, to Portugal and the West Indies, were failures, and he died of dysentery in 1596 aboard his ship off the coast of Panama.

Legacy

Drake's legacy is complex. He is celebrated as a hero of the Elizabethan Age, a period of English exploration, military victories, and cultural flourishing. His circumnavigation of the globe demonstrated the potential for global navigation and trade, contributing to the rise of the British Empire. However, his involvement in the slave trade and his ruthless attacks on Spanish territories have led to a more critical assessment of his life and achievements.