Sir Francis Drake (1540-1596).Activities.

Sir Francis Drake was born in 1540 in Tavistock, Devon, England. He first started going to sea while living in Chatham in Kent, at the age of 12 or 13. He was an apprentice on a small trading ship which was left to him when the master died. but became famous as a pirate and explorer.
During his life, Protestant England was often at war with Catholic Spain and there were rich rewards for capturing Spanish ships.
Drake, who was an incredibly bold and brilliant sailor, captured more than his fair share of Spanish ships. His pirate raids on Spanish ships off the coast of America were encouraged by Queen Elizabeth I. Drake's successful battles against the Spanish helped England become a major sea power.
He was the first Englishman to sail around the world, which he did (1577 - 1580) in his ship The Golden Hinde. Drake started his famous circumnavigation of the world from Plymouth, England, November 15, 1577, passed through the Straight of Magellan (southern tip of South America) into the Pacific, coasted up the western shores of the Americas, crossed to Asia and the Philippines, and finally returned to Britain on September 26, 1580.

Drake's route around the world

On the way round the world, Drake landed in what is now California, naming it Nova Albion (New England) and claiming it for his queen.
Drake returned from his voyage with his ship packed full of spices from the Indies, and plundered Spanish silver and treasure.

                               ACTIVITIES

Drake succeded in becoming the first man to sail around the entiere world
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1) Describe his travels
2) Explain the meaning of 'circumnavigate

Knighted
Drake was knighted by Queen Elizabeth l for his courage, and for the treasures he brought back with him. He brought back enough treasure to pay off the entire national debt.
Spanish Armada
In 1587, Elizabeth I put Drake in command of an expedition to attack a Spanish fleet which was getting ready to attack England. Drake sailed right in to Cadiz harbour and wrecked the ships there, before going on to capture another hundred Spanish ships elsewhere. It was said he'd 'singed the king of Spain's beard'. By 1588, he was Vice-Admiral of the fleet which defeated the Spanish Armada.

Follow this link to read more about the Spanish Armada

As a sailor, adventurer, navigator, politician, engineer and landowner, Drake was as famous in his own lifetime as David Beckham is today. He was one of the most famous men in Elizabethan times.
Website links
Sir Francis Drake
Questions and answers about Drake
Sir Francis Drake - Snaith PrimaryWho was he?
What great deeds did he do?
St Francis Drake - Channel 4 site
Sir Francis Drake
These pages focus on Sir Francis Drake, and in particular on his "Famous Voyage" - the circumnavigation of the world in the sixteenth century, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth.
Golden Hind Website - Click on the Education Centre
The Golden Hind captained by Sir Francis Drake undertook one of the most historic and exciting voyages of all time.