Christopher Columbus. Amerigo Vespucci. Vasco de Gama. We remember these famous names because they were explorers, pioneering souls who crossed the oceans to seek out new people and places. In our minds, we can almost see these men in that age of discovery, commanding their massive, sturdy ships with huge sails full of wind and mighty ocean waves crashing against the sides. There is, however, another name that we remember from this time, and he was no explorer. Why do we remember the name of Sir Francis Drake? He was no discoverer, no finder of strange lands. But he was one of the greatest seafarers who ever lived. So great that his name is firmly imprinted in history and our minds. Although Sir Francis …show more content…
Francis Drake, however, refused to back down. Confident of what he could accomplish as a privateer, he chose to bravely demonstrate it and continued the mission. As he sailed up the coast, Drake attacked Spanish ships and settlements, raiding all along South America and even into Mexico, accumulating spoils every step of the way. Finally, he finished trouncing the Spaniards and stopped briefly to repair his ship before setting sail for home. The mighty privateer surprisingly elected to do this by crossing the entire Pacific Ocean, passing through the Indian Ocean, and sailing around the Cape of Good Hope in one final, spectacular feat. As Francis Drake docked back in England with his loads of treasure, he became the first Englishman to circumnavigate the world. (Kingfisher, 2004) The Crown recognized him for his incredible accomplishments by knighting him Sir Francis Drake, a name soon known as belonging to one of the greatest seafarers of the 16th century.
Living Up to His Name Sir Francis Drake had become one of the most renowned seamen alive by the time he was
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Once again, Drake’s naval skills would be called upon. He shared command of the English fleet with his cousin John Hawkins, Lord Admiral Howard, and Martin Frobisher. Although their fleet was infinitely outnumbered, they engaged the Spanish Armada nonetheless. On their own, the ships could scarcely put a dent in the vast enemy fleet. However, the Spaniards’ tight defensive formation prevented them from moving faster than the speed of their slowest ship. Consequently, they could not reach their reinforcements before Drake and his partners came up with a clever plan. In the middle of the night, Drake helped organize a fireship attack which simply meant lighting ships on fire and sending them towards the Armada. The Spanish scattered at the tactic and soon became easy targets for the English ships which had more firepower. Battered and decimated, the Armada was forced to retreat. (Simkin, 1997) The mice had outsmarted the lion. Loved by his people and feared by the Spaniards, Drake finally neared the end of his life. It is fitting that no mere man killed the great Sir Francis Drake. He died of dysentery in Panama in 1596
Champlain was basically a sea man by birth. He was born into a family of sea captains and his father was a really good and experienced sea captain. His uncle went with him on his first trip. When he was a little boy, his hometown was filled to the gills with docks and huge ships which encouraged his love of boats and exploring. He also had to work for King Henry and do many other things containing maps and boats. He found the love of sailing and exploring because he had very good motivational things to push him along his journey.
It is ironic that the entire notion of privateering began in Great Britain. In 1649 a frigate named Constant-Warwick was constructed in England for a privateer in the employ of the Earl of Warwick.
The English victory over the Spanish Armada marked the beginning of the British naval dominance in the Atlantic. England and Spain had been enjoying a peaceful relationship throughout the early 15th century. However, the relations turned sour after the Spanish backstabbed an English fleet, led by a British sailor named Francis Drake at the Spanish port of San Juan de Ulua in 1568. Drake, privately encouraged by Queen Elizabeth of England, began pirating the Spanish riches for England from the Caribbean and all along the Spanish held coasts of Latin America. King Philip of Spain, already disgusted by the religious practices of England’s royalty, began scheming for a plan to invade Britain. He sent 130 large vessels, meant to carry soldiers, to the English Channel. The once thought “Invincible Armada” was annihilated by England’s smaller, more maneuverable and better armed crafts. While the surviving Spanish ships were retreating back home, a rare September storm devastated the already diminished fleet. With a large chunk of their navy destroyed, Spain did not have enough ships or manpower to control their vast empire. Slowly, their once might...
up to a mile out to sea and the Armada's ships needed at least 20
...t of the ships got shipwrecked. The weather was an enemy to the Spanish around 6 times during the whole duration of the battle. So this can go down to luck for the English.
is one that cannot be defeated, yet the mighty fleet of warships that Spain sent
Columbus left Spain with three ships, The Pinta (Captained by Martin Alonzo Pinzon), the Nina (Vicente Yáez Pinzon), and the Santa Maria (Columbus). The crew of around 90 left Palos, Spain on August 3rd, 1492, and reached shore on October 11th, 1492. Columbus had arrived in what he believed to be India, so he called the natives that were there “Indians”. Columbus and his crew actually landed on an Island called Guanahani, and once him and his crew took the land, they took the woman and made them slaves as they hunted for gold. By the end of the first set of trips, Columbus had wrecked two ships, one of which was headed back to land to try and beat Columbus.
the myths of his voyages begin with himself. For it was he who reported to
Francis Drake was born in the town of Tavistock in the county of Devonshire, England, around 1540 – 1544. ...
“El Draque” or “The Dragon” the Spanish called this English admiral out of fear. Sir Francis Drake was born at Crownsdale, near Tavistock, Devon around the 1540’s. He served, as an apprentice in the Thames Coastal Trade after his father became a preacher at Chatham. He led several expeditions against the Spanish Main as well as an attack against the Spanish city of Cadiz. Drake was the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe and he helped defeat the Spanish Armada in 1588. He was a successful privateer, a talented navigator and one of the most famous seamen in history.
Pretty, Francis. n.d. Sir Francis Drake's Famous Voyage Round the World. Hoboken, N.J.: BiblioBytes, n.d. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost), EBSCOhost (accessed April 23, 2014).
Francisco Pizarro served on an expedition, which he discovered the Pacific Ocean. Henry Hudson was an English Explorer born in 1565, he is known as one of the most famous explorers.
From 1566 to 1569 he sailed on two slave-trading voyages with his cousin and partner Sir John Hawkins. He is another famous sea dog in his time. They went to Africa and got slaves and sold them to the Western Indians. Portugal and Spain were not happy about this voyage that England made because they were giving Portugal competition with slave trade and ...
Before the most famous historic voyage to the Americas Christopher Columbus had no support to go on his expedition. Christopher Columbus tried to get support from the King of Portugal John II, but he was turned down. Spain finally agreed to sponsor his voyage in 1492 across the Atlantic Ocean. By agreeing to sponsor Christopher Columbus voyage they believed they would have gained leverage in what they were trying to do in Spain. The Reconquista made the Spaniards very powerful. By Christopher Columbus finding new land with people and gold it convinced King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella to continue to support his voyages. Even though the king and queen believed that allowing him to go on the voyages benefited them it actually allowed Christopher
He still thought that he had reached India, calling the natives there “Indians”. Columbus even took some of these so called “Indians” back to Spain with him as slaves, so that he could show the king and queen. During this time, Spain signed the Treaty of Tordesillas, which confirmed Spain’s claim to the Americas. In 1501 Amerigo Vespucci made a voyage attempting to reach Portugal, but instead realized that after sailing around the tip of South America that this landmass was not a part of Asia. Cortes was followed by Francisco Pizarro, who reached Peru in 1526.