How Did Francis Drake Contribute To Elizabethan

In the middle of the Elizabethan era, “El Dragon” plundered Spain, whom he hated from a young age. Francis Drake was born in Plymouth England in 1540 to a Protestant pastor. During the reign of Queen Elizabethan, England was a Protestant nation, whereas Spain was a Catholic empire. Spain had intended to invade England and convert the nation to Catholicism, as the son of a Protestant pastor, Francis Drake would have been opposed to this change in beliefs. Drake spent his early adult life captaining a ship in an expedition guided by the English Captain Hawkins. Hawkins’ expedition as stopped at San Juan de Ulúa in Spain where they were guaranteed safety until their ships were repaired. But the Spanish went back on their word and attacked

After Drake’s return from San Juan de Ulúa his anger from the injustices committed by Spain drove Drake back to Spanish controlled waters. After a year back in England “Drake fitted out an unauthorized expedition and made the first English raid on the Spanish ports in the West Indies” (Morsberger). Francis Drake willingness to defy English law and attack ports never attacked before demonstrated how Drake’s anger toward Spain provoked him to execute illegal and risky acts. Drake’s assaults in the West Indies were performed far differently from previous pirates such as Hawkins, a Captain Francis Drake had previously served with. While in the West Indies Drake “refused to engage in trade, but concentrated on raiding Spanish ports and capturing their ships” (Konstam 64). The dedication to assaulting Spanish ports displayed by Francis Drake exhibited how he had an intense hatred toward Spain which caused him to act in a way that was contrary to previous English Pirates. Subsequently, after his expeditions Francis Drake was forced to remain hidden from Spain and England for two years, since the Queen would not condone his actions. Sir Francis Drake’s hatred toward Spain was shown prior to his approval by England, such as his raids on Spanish ports in the new world,

Sir Francis Drake’s anger and hatred toward the Spanish continued and was displayed after he was accepted by England. Once relations between England and Spain had grown tense, Queen Elizabeth funded an expedition captained by Francis Drake in the Spanish Main. Francis Drake was given control of 25 naval vessels, with which he captured Santo Domingo, Cartagena in Venezuela, and St Augustine in Florida (Konstam 65). This expedition displayed Francis Drake’s hatred against Spain since he was willing to come out of hiding to capture cities for the very people who forced him into hiding for doing what they now requested of him. Sir Francis Drake’s prejudice against Spain caused him to carry out a final devastating attack against Spain. Instead of having attacked Spanish colonies, Drake attacked Cádiz harbor in Spain destroying dozens of ships and provisions, and destroying forty-seven more ships in Portugal on his path back to England. This act of violence against Spain demonstrated Sir Francis Drake’s hatred toward Spain, since he was willing to risk his own life and the lives of his crew to cripple the Spanish navy in a daring and seemingly impossible assault. The invitation also resulted in the delay of the Spanish Armada’s attack on England by a year (Morsberger). Sir Francis Drake’s hate of the Spanish was