Sir Francis Drake: The courageous Explorer
Francis Drake was the eldest of 12 sons born to Mary Myllware and Edmund Drake. Their family was a poor, staunchly, protestant family. Drake went to sea as a youth aided by the Hawkings family of Plymouth. The fearless Sir Francis Drake led an epic exploration around the world between 1577-1580. With exploring new lands, taking treasure, and taking unique spices. Between 1577-1580 Drake executed brilliant raids on Spanish ships and cities destroying and plundering valuable items. These acts played major important roles during the Renaissance era and ultimately guiding the English to victory against Spain. Sir Francis Drake’s first contribution was his circumnavigation of the world and exploring new
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Encyclopedia of World Biography states “Drake fulfilled the queens expectations and sacked virgo in Spanish Galicia and then sailed to Santo Domingo and Cartagena, capturing and holding both for ransom” (“Drake, Sir Francis”). Between 1585 and 1856 relations with England and Spain grew much worse. Queen Elizabeth unleashed Francis Drake on the Spanish in a series of plundering, raiding, and capturing Spanish ships. Drake also occupied Spanish cities in the North and South America taking treasure, goods, and inflicting heavy damage on the morale of Spain. These acts convinced Spain to invade England. Drake then conducted a huge raid on the Spanish city of Cadiz destroying more than 30 ships and taking thousands upon thousands of supplies. In 1588 Drake was appointed vice admiral of the English Navy. On July 27, 130 ships of the Spanish Armada entered the English Channel in a crescent form. English ships quickly met them and relied on heavy cannon fire to significantly damage the Spanish Armada. In 1589, Queen Elizabeth ordered Drake to seek out and find and destroy any other remaining Spanish ships and help Portuguese rebels in Lisbon fighting against Spanish occupiers. The expedition instead sustained very major damage and taking many lives to the English Navy. Drake returned home and for the next several busied himself with the duty of being mayor of