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[ T y p e t h e c o m p a n y n a m e ]
[ T y p e t h e c o m p a n y a d d r e s s ]
[ T y p e t h e p h o n e n u m b e r ]
[ T y p e t h e f a x n u m b e r ]
[ P i c k t h e d a t e ]
Chaudhry, Akmal
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Sir Francis Drake (1545-1596) was a British explorer, slave-trader, privateer (a pirate
working for a government) in the service of England, mayor of Plymouth, England, and naval
officer (he was an Admiral).
Drake led the second expedition to sail around the world in a voyage lasting from 1577 to
1580 (Magellan led the first voyage around the world). Queen Elizabeth I commissioned
Drake to command the expedition together with John Winter and Thomas Doughty. They left
Plymouth, England, on December 13, 1577, with six ships (including the Golden Hind). They
sailed to Brazil, and through the perilous Strait of Magellan (between August 20 and
September 6, 1578). At Tierra del Fuego (located at the southern tip of South America),
natives gave Drake and his crew food and water. They sailed by Panama (1579), where he
pirated Spanish ships and settlements for food and treasures. He landed on the island of Cano,
off the coast of southern Mexico. In North America, he claimed the land he called "Nova
Albion" for the Queen (his exact location was kept secret, but he may have sailed as far north
as northern California or even Vancouver Island, Canada). They then crossed the Pacific
Ocean and sailed by Indonesia, through the Indian Ocean, past the Cape of Good Hope, and
back to Plymouth, England, in 1580. Upon his return, the Queen rewarded Drake with a large
sum of money (10,000).
Drake was also involved in the slave trade and was a fierce warrior and privateer. Drake
and John Hawkins were on a slave-trading trip to the West Indies (backed by Queen
Elizabeth) that ended with an attack by the Spanish fleet at San Juan de Ulua, near Veracruz,
Mexico. The six English slave-trading ships were in the harbor for repairs, and only two ships
survived the attack, those commanded by Hawkins and Drake; the Spanish did not want the
English competing in their highly profitable slave-trading business. This battle led to a series
of battles that later resulted in a war between Spain and England. In this war, England
crushed the Spanish Armada in 1588 and became the dominant world power. Drake helped
the British defeat the Spanish Armada; he was second in command. The Spanish called him
El Draque, meaning "The Dragon."
Drake died of fever at sea near Panama; he was on a voyage intending to attack Spanish
colonies in the West Indies.
Early Years
Like many of his contemporaries, no birth records exist for Sir Francis Drake. It is believed
he was born between 1540 and 1544, based on dates of later events. Records show he was 22
when he obtained his first command in 1566. Two portraits help further narrow the date: one
painted in 1581, when he was 42, and another painted in 1594, when he was 53.
Francis Drake was the eldest of 12 sons born to Edmund Drake and Mary Mylwaye Drake.
Edmund was a farmer on the estate of Lord Francis Russell, the second earl of Bedford, who
was also Francis' godfather. Francis was apprenticed to a merchant who sailed coastal waters
trading goods between England and France. He took to navigation well and was soon enlisted
by his relatives, the Hawkinses. They were privateers who prowled the shipping lanes off the
French coast, seizing merchant ships.
Life as a Privateer
By the 1560s, Francis Drake was given command of his own ship, the Judith. With a small
fleet, Drake and his cousin, John Hawkins, sailed to Africa to engage in the slave trade. They
then sailed to New Spain to sell their captives to settlers, an action that was against Spanish
law. In 1568, Drake and Hawkins were trapped in the Mexican port of San Juan de Ulua. The
two escaped, but many of their men were killed. The incident instilled in Drake a deep hatred
of the Spanish crown.
In 1572, Francis Drake obtained a privateer's commission from Queen Elizabeth I (essentially
a license to plunder any of King Philip of Spain's property.) In that year, he embarked on his
first independent voyage to Panama. He planned to attack the town of Nombre de Dios, a
drop-off point for Spanish ships bringing silver and gold from Peru. With two ships and a
crew of 73 men, Drake captured the town. However, he was seriously wounded during the
raid, so he and his men withdrew without much loot. They stayed in the area for a time, and
after Drakes wounds healed, they raided several Spanish settlements, picking up much gold
and silver along the way. They returned to Plymouth in 1573.
With the success of the Panama expedition, Queen Elizabeth sent Francis Drake out against
the Spanish along the Pacific coast of South America in November 1577. He was
accompanied by two other men, John Wynter and Thomas Doughty. The agreement was that
the three men would share command responsibilities on the expedition. Soon after raiding
several Spanish settlements near the Azores, Drake assumed command, a declaration that
didn't set well with Doughty. Tensions flared between the two all the way across the Atlantic.
Upon arriving off the coast of Argentina, Drake sensed that Doughty was plotting a mutiny
and had him arrested. After a brief and possibly illegal trial, Doughty was convicted and
beheaded. Drake took full command of the expedition by making all officers responsible only
to him.
Francis Drake then led the fleet into the Strait of Magellan to reach the Pacific Ocean. They
were soon caught in a storm, and two ships lagged behind. One ship, commanded by John
Wynter, reversed course and returned to England. The other disappeared and was never seen
again. Drake remained in his flagship, The Golden Hind, and sailed up the coasts of Chile
and Peru, plundering unprotected Spanish merchant ships full of gold and silver. Drake
landed off the coast of California, claiming it for Queen Elizabeth. After repairing the ship
and replenishing food supplies, he set sail across the Pacific, through the Indian Ocean and
around Cape of Good Hope back to England, landing at Plymouth in 1580. Drake had
become the first Englishman to circumnavigate the world. The treasure he captured made him
a wealthy man, and the Queen knighted him in 1581. Later that year, he was elected to the
House of Commons.
Between 1585 and 1586, relations between England and Spain grew worse. Elizabeth
unleashed Sir Francis Drake on the Spanish in a series of raids that captured several cities in
North and South America, taking treasure and inflicting damage on Spanish morale. These
acts prompted Spains King Philip II to invade England. He ordered the construction of a vast
armada of warships, fully equipped and manned for the task. In a preemptive strike, Drake
conducted a raid on the Spanish city of Cadiz, destroying more than 30 ships and thousands
of tons of supplies. He laughingly referred to this act as "singeing the king of Spains beard."
In 1588, Sir Francis 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
in a crescent formation. The English fleet sailed out to meet them. For several days, the
English fleet used its superior speed and maneuverability to harass the Armada with long-
range cannon fire. Two Spanish ships were damaged and had to be rescued. Drake was able
to capture one of the Spanish ships carrying the payroll for the Spanish Army.
On July 27, Spanish commander Medina Sidonia anchored the Armada off the coast of
Calais, France, in hopes of meeting up with Spanish soldiers who would join in the invasion.
The next evening, Lord Howard and Sir Francis Drake organized fireships to sail right into
the Spanish fleet. They did little damage, but the ensuing panic caused some of the Spanish
captains to cut anchor and scatter. The southwesterly wind carried many of the ships into the
English Channel, and the English followed in pursuit.
At the Battle of Gravelines, the English began getting the better of the Spaniards. With the
Armada formation broken, the lumbering Spanish galleons were easy targets for the English
ships, which could quickly move in to fire one or two well-aimed broadsides before scurrying
off to safety. By late afternoon, most English ships were out of gunpowder and pulled back.
Medina Sidonia was forced to take the Armada north around Scotland and back to Spain. As
the Armada sailed away from the Scottish coast, a strong gale drove may ships onto the Irish
rocks. Thousands of Spaniards drowned, and those who reached land were killed by English
soldiers and locals. Of the 25,000 men that set out in the Armada, fewer than 10,000 arrived
in Spain safely.
One of his famous diary quotes
The 25. day of the same month we fell with the Cape Cantin, upon the coast of Barbary; and
coasting along, the 27. day we found an island called Mogador, lying one mile distant from
the main. Between which island and the main we found a very good and safe harbour for our
ships to ride in, as also very good entrance, and void of any danger. On this island our
General erected a pinnace, whereof he brought out of England with him four already framed.
While these things were in doing, there came to the water's side some of the inhabitants of the
country, shewing forth their flags of truce; which being seen of our General, he sent his ship's
boat to the shore to know what they would. They being willing to come aboard, our men left
there one man of our company for a pledge, and brought two of theirs aboard our ship; which
by signs shewed our General that the next day they would bring some provision, as sheep,
capons, and hens, and such like. Whereupon our General bestowed amongst them some linen
cloth and shoes, and a javelin, which theo very joyfully received, and departed for that time.
The next morning they failed not to come again to the water's side. And our General again
setting out our boat, one of our men leaping over-rashly ashore, and offering friendly to
embrace them, they set violent hands on him, offering a dagger to his throat if he had made
any resistance; and so laying him on a horse carried him away. So that a man cannot be too
circumspect and wary of himself among such miscreants. Our pinnace being finished, we
departed from this place the 30. and last day of December, and coasting along the shore we
did descry, not contrary to our expectation, certain canters'2 which were Spanish fishermen,
to whom we gave chase and took three of them. And proceeding further we met with three
carvels, and took them also.
[Footnote 2: Old Sp. cantera (perhaps from cantharus).]
THE LETTER
Dear Editor
RE EVIDENCE THAT SIR FRANCIS IS A GIMMICK
I have noted of late that during my research, during a marine battle between Her Majestys
army and the Armada, Sir Francis Drake had to fake his death in order to counter-pass his
enemies. This being done, the Armada of Spain didnt attack him.
Later on, as the duel came to a halt, he got up without being discovered and managed to
survive from a losing situation to conquer the Spanish Armada.
According to your article on Page 35, it states that Sir Francis Drake was fit and healthy
throughout the war.
It is with this I would like you to re-correct the article
Yours sincerely,
Rajon Rondo