Francis Drake. Pirate or hero: Francis Drake - the first Englishman to circumnavigate the world What Francis Drake discovered in 1577 1580

Francis Drake (Francis Drake) is one of the most famous English pirates. Second person after Magellan to circumnavigate the world.

The early years of Francis Drake

Francis was born around 1545 in the town of Tenwiston, Devonshire. The family was not rich and had many children, except for Francis Edmund Drake eleven more children were born. Francis' father was a former sailor.
Since Francis was the eldest child, he began to help his father early and at about 10 years old got a job as a cabin boy on a small merchant ship. The inquisitive boy deftly coped with the work and grasped the basics of navigation on the fly, which the old captain liked very much. Since the captain was his relative and had no children, he bequeathed his ship to Francis.
At 16, Francis Drake became the owner of a 50-ton barque Judith . Little is known about the first years of Drake's voyage, we only know that he took part in the slave trade during a pirate expedition. John Lovell.

Drake's first expeditions and first failures

At the end of 1567 Francis Drake took part in the expedition of another of his relatives John Hawkins, a wealthy armator who planned to plunder the Spanish fortresses on the coast of Mexico.
But the expedition was extremely unsuccessful. For a very long time, the British could not capture slaves or even rob any Portuguese slave ship. When they managed to load a sufficient number of slaves, they could not sell them to the Spanish planters for a long time. The English ships got into a strong storm, and when they entered the harbor, the squadron accompanying the Silver Fleet blocked the exit for repairs. Of the six English ships, only Drake's managed to get away without loss. See the biography for a more detailed account of this expedition. John Hawkins.
Returning to England, Drake married Mary Newman, after which he went on several ships to the Caribbean Sea, for reconnaissance. But all campaigns before the expedition of 1672 were reconnaissance in nature, so no documents about these Drake campaigns have been preserved.
In May 1672 Francis Drake goes across the ocean again Silver caravan . The British went on this expedition on two small ships, and already on the way to America, the British robbed several Spanish ships. Having reached the Isthmus of Panama, the expedition together with the pirates James Rense attacked the city of Nombre de Dios, but they failed to capture the city, in addition, Drake was wounded in the leg. Despite this, Drake cruised along the coast for several months, robbing Spanish ships.
Finally, the British landed and tried to capture the silver caravan. By a stupid accident, instead of a caravan with silver, Drake's squad captured a caravan with food. Enraged, Drake robbed the colony of Venta Cruz. Going out to sea, the British met French pirates under the command Guillaume Le Tetu, with whom they attacked the silver caravan again, this time luck smiled at the pirates. The booty was so large that the pirates could not carry it all away at once, so some of the booty was forced to hide on the spot. While combing the forest, the Spaniards found Le Tetu and shot him dead. Having threatened to torture one of the pirates, the Spaniards found the hidden silver. Drake was more fortunate, he safely reached his ships. The captured booty was divided between the British and the French, and soon Drake met a Spanish ship with food. Now that Drake had food and a strong ship, the British moved home.
The booty captured on the expedition was so great that Drake, after paying all the interest, was able to purchase the estate and three ships. But about 30 people did not return from the campaign, among them were two brothers of Francis.

Circumnavigation

Francis Drake led the suppression of the Irish uprising, for which he was presented Queen Elizabeth I. He used this audience to present to the queen his plan for an attack on the Spanish colonies in the Pacific. The queen approved the plan, but put one condition, to hide the names of the people who provided the finances for this expedition. Drake went to the trick, none of the team knew about the true purpose of the expedition until they reached the shores of South America.
There were three ships on the voyage. When the pirates crossed the ocean, they stopped at Bay of San Julian in which Magellan dealt with the rebels. Drake had to execute his friend, Captain Thomas Doughty on suspicion of preparing a rebellion. After that, here the flagship of the expedition was renamed Golden doe .
Coming out of Strait of Magellan, the ships were caught in a fierce storm. One of the ships was lost, the second was thrown back to the strait, and passing through it in the opposite direction, the ship returned to England. Golden doe Drake was carried far to the south, here the privateer made the discovery that Tierra del Fuego is an island, and not part of the southern mainland, as previously thought. The strait between Tierra del Fuego and Antarctica was later named after Drake.
When the storm subsided, Drake moved along the coast. Since up to that time none of the European ships, except for the Spanish, had ever been on the Pacific coast, the Spanish fortresses located on the coast were defenseless, and Drake's attacks were so sudden and unexpected that they almost always ended in luck. The Spaniards expected that Drake would return to England through the Strait of Magellan and put up a squadron, but Drake deceived the enemies, crossed the Pacific and Indian oceans, went around Africa and almost three years later returned to England.
It was the most profitable expedition in history. Drake brought from America gold and jewelry in the amount of 500 thousand pounds, in order to imagine the size of this amount, it should be said that England's costs in the fight against Invincible armada , cost 160 thousand pounds, and the annual income of the English treasury was 300 thousand pounds. The return on every pound invested was 4,700%.
The queen arrived aboard Drake's ship and knighted him on deck. Drake was elected mayor of Plymouth and excelled in that position as well. For another 300 years, the inhabitants of this port city remembered their mayor with gratitude when they used drinking water.

Victory over the Invincible Armada

After returning Francis Drake made another successful expedition to the West Indies. He managed to rob the capital of Hispaniola, Santo Domingo, and one of the largest Spanish cities, Cartagena. The expedition involved 21 ships and more than two thousand soldiers.
Philip II declared Drake the main enemy of Spain. Spain began to prepare a huge fleet for the landing of the army on the English coast.
Drake managed to approach with a small squadron to the Spanish port, where there were about 60 ships. Thanks to the use of fireships, he managed to set fire to about 30 ships. Drake himself boarded a Spanish galleon with a displacement of 1200 tons. This sortie delayed the release of the forthcoming Invincible armada . In the victory over the armada, the main ally of the British was the wind, which scattered the Spanish ships and made it impossible to land.
Drake's attempt to capture Lisbon ended in failure. The treasury suffered huge losses, which brought Drake the disfavor of the queen.

Last voyage

By the time of the last expedition, the Spaniards were able to learn from previous raids and were able to establish defense of fortresses and main mines. Diseases accompanied this expedition, and mowed down the soldiers and sailors. I did not escape this fate myself Francis Drake. He fell ill with dysentery and died on January 28, 1596. His body was placed in a lead coffin and thrown into the sea.

Sir Francis Drake(Eng. Francis Drake; c. 1540 - January 28, 1596) - English navigator, slave trader, prominent political figure of the era of Elizabeth I, a successful pirate, the second after having made a round-the-world trip, vice-admiral, reputed to be a thunderstorm of the seas.

First Englishman to circumnavigate the world (1577-1580).

Childhood and youth

The future "Iron Pirate" of Queen Elizabeth, the first English navigator around the world, was supposedly born in 1540 in the English town of Crowndale, Devonshire.

Francis became the first child in a farmer's family. When 11 more children were born one after another, the father, Edmund Drake, became a rural preacher to feed a large family. In 1549, the family, having leased their land, moved to the south-east of England, to the county of Kent (eng. Kent). This move had a huge impact on the fate of the boy. At the age of 13, Francis, who from childhood dreamed of long-distance sea voyages, fame and fortune, became a cabin boy on his uncle's merchant ship (barque), who fell in love with the hardworking, persistent and prudent young man so much that he bequeathed the ship after his death to his nephew. Thus, after the death of his uncle at the age of 16, Francis became the full captain of his own ship.

Life full of adventure

In 1567, Drake set out on his first serious voyage to the West Indies, commanding a ship on a slave trading expedition of his relative, Sir John Hawkins. During this expedition, near the Gulf of Mexico, the British ships were attacked by the Spaniards, and most of the ships were sunk. Only two sailboats survived - Drake and Hawkins. The British demanded from the Spanish king that he pay them for the destroyed ships. The king, of course, refused, then Drake "declared war" on the Spanish crown.

In 1572, the navigator set off on his own repeated campaign to the Spanish possessions in the West Indies, as a result of which he captured the city of Nombre de Dios (Spanish: Nombre de Dios), then several ships near the harbor near the Venezuelan city (Spanish. Cartagena).

During this expedition, an English corsair attacked in the area of ​​the Isthmus of Panama on a Spanish squadron heading from Panama to Nombre de Dios, called the "Silver Caravan", in the holds of which there were approx. 30 tons of silver. August 9, 1573 Drake returned to Plymouth (Eng. Plymouth) a rich man, fanned by the glory of a successful corsair, "thunderstorm of the seas."

On November 15, 1577, the English Queen Elizabeth I ordered her faithful privateer to go on an expedition to the Pacific coast of America. On December 13, 1577, Francis Drake on the flagship Pelican (Pelican) with a displacement of 100 tons left Plymouth on his most famous campaign at the head of a flotilla consisting of 4 large ones (Elizabeth, Sea Gold, Swan, "Christopher") ships and 2 small auxiliary vessels. By that time, he was already surrounded by the halo of glory of the "iron pirate", an experienced navigator and a talented naval tactician.

The official purpose of the voyage was to discover new lands, however, in fact, Drake was supposed to rob Spanish ships, replenishing the treasury of England with Spanish gold.

Francis went south to (Spanish: Estrecho de Magallanes), which the squadron passed successfully, but at the exit from it fell into a fierce storm, scattering the ships of the squadron. One ship crashed against the rocks, another was thrown back into the strait, and its captain decided to return to England.

The flagship "Pelican", the only one of all the ships "made its way" to the Pacific Ocean, where it was renamed the "Golden Doe" (Eng. Golden Hind) for its excellent seaworthiness. After a storm, he anchored among the previously unknown islands, calling them "Elizabeth".

Involuntarily, Drake made an important geographical discovery: it turned out that (Spanish: Tierra del Fuego) is not part of the unknown southern mainland, but only a large island, beyond which the open sea continues. Subsequently, the wide one between Antarctica and Tierra del Fuego was named after him.

His further journey consisted of robberies off the coast and, for which the Viceroy of Peru sent 2 ships to capture the pirate. He escaped the pursuit to the northwest, robbing jeweled ships and capturing prisoners along the way. It is impossible to establish the exact number of ships that became victims of the pirate today, but it is known that the booty was fabulous. A particularly large jackpot was waiting for " sea ​​dog» in (Spanish: Valparaiso) - pirates seized a ship that was in the harbor, loaded with gold and expensive goods, and a large supply of golden sand was stored in the city. But the main thing is that on the Spanish ship there were secret nautical charts with detailed description western coast of South America.

The Spanish cities and settlements on the coast did not expect the British to attack and were not ready for defense. Moving along the coast, the pirates captured city after city, filling the holds with gold. Not far from the Isthmus of Panama, they managed to board the large Spanish ship Carafuego, which contained more than 1.6 tons of gold and a huge amount of silver bars. In the Mexican harbor of Acapulco (Spanish Acapulco), Drake captured a galleon loaded with spices and Chinese silk.

The privateer passed along the South American Pacific coast to the north, and then explored the coast far north of the Spanish colonies, approximately to modern Vancouver (Eng. Vancouver; a city on the west coast of Canada). On June 17, 1579, the ship landed on an unknown shore, presumably in the San Francisco area (eng. San Francisco), and according to another version, in modern Oregon (eng. Oregon). Pirate declared these lands English proficiency, calling them "New Albion" (Eng. New Albion).

Map of the movements of the Drake flotilla (1572-1580)

Then he crossed Pacific Ocean and went out to Mariana Islands(Eng. Mariana Islands). After repairing the ship and replenishing provisions, he headed for the Cape of Good Hope, then, bypassing Africa from the south, on September 26, 1580 moored at Plymouth, having completed the 2nd circumnavigation of the world after Magellan in 2 year 10 months and 11 days. At home, the pirate was met as national hero, he was awarded an honorary knighthood by the Queen.

From the circumnavigation of the world, Drake brought to England not only treasures worth a huge amount of 600 thousand pounds sterling (this was 2 times the size of the annual income of the kingdom), but also potato tubers - descendants are especially grateful to him for this.

It should be mentioned that his campaign caused a major international scandal, since there was no official state of war during this period between Spain and England. The Spanish king even demanded that the Queen of England punish Drake for piracy, compensate for material damage and apologize. Of course, Elizabeth was not going to punish anyone or compensate for the damage, on the contrary, from now on, Francis Drake rested on his laurels. He was awarded the post of mayor of Plymouth, became an inspector of the naval Royal Commission, which controlled the state of the fleet, and in 1584 was elected a member of the House of Commons of the British Parliament. Since the knighthood required to have his own castle, Sir Francis bought an estate in Buckland (Eng. Buckland Abbey, Devon).

However, the famous adventurer was clearly burdened by land life. When in the mid 80's. relations between the two countries escalated, Drake offered his services to the Queen and was ordered to form a fleet to attack Spain.

Soon, having received the rank of vice admiral, he prepared 21 ships for the campaign. In 1585, an impressive squadron went to sea, but the captain did not dare to go to the coast of Spain, heading for the Spanish possessions in America, which he thoroughly plundered, capturing a number of large cities, including Santo Domingo (Spanish Santo Domingo), Cartagena (Spanish: Cartagena) and San Augustin (Spanish: San Augustine).

In 1587, Drake launched his exceptionally audacious attack on the most important Spanish port of Cadiz (Spanish: Cadiz): with 4 warships, he broke into the port, sank and burned more than 30 Spanish ships. As Francis himself put it, he deftly "burned the beard of the Spanish King." And on the way back, the corsair off the Portuguese coast destroyed about 100 enemy ships. However, the richest booty was brought to the corsair by a Portuguese ship sailing from India with a cargo of spices, which was of such value that every sailor of the flotilla already considered his fate "arranged."

In 1588, Sir Francis, along with other English admirals, defeated the Spanish "Invincible Armada". In 1589, he commanded the combined forces of the fleet ("English Armada"), under his command there were over 150 warships.

Drake's "English Armada"

The corsair tried to capture the Portuguese Lisbon, but due to the lack of siege weapons, he suffered a crushing defeat. It seems that this time Drake's luck left, he could not take the city, and out of 16 thousand people only 6 thousand survived. In addition, his military campaign cost the English treasury 50 thousand pounds sterling, which the stingy Queen could not endure , and the Iron Pirate lost her favor.

The next expedition to the shores of America for new treasures was the last for the corsair (1595-1596). Failures pursued the squadron, in addition, the weather was disgusting and diseases spread among the crews. Drake took the ships to an unfavorable place near the island of Escudo le Veragua (Spanish: Escudo de Veraguas). Food was running out, people were dying of dysentery and tropical fever. Sir Francis himself soon fell ill, and on January 28, 1596, at the age of 56, he died of dysentery near Puerto Bello (modern Portobelo in Panama). According to tradition, the famous navigator was buried under the volleys of ship guns in the ocean, putting the body in a lead coffin. The remnants of the squadron under the command of Thomas Baskerville returned to Plymouth without their admiral.

Personal life

In 1569, Francis Drake married a girl named Mary Newman (eng. Mary Newman), it is known that the first marriage was childless, and Mary died 12 years later.

In 1585, he married a second time to a girl from a rich and noble family, Elizabeth Sydenham(Eng. Elizabeth Sydenham). The couple moved to their new estate "Buckland Abbey", today there is a large monument in honor of the "royal pirate". As in his first marriage, the famous navigator had no children; his entire fortune subsequently passed to his nephew, who was also named Francis.

Francis Drake: Memory

Curious facts

Francis Drake - navigator, discoverer and favorite corsair of the Queen of England. His exploits and travels forced many to strive for the boundless expanses of the ocean. However, only a few managed to achieve the level of wealth and fame that Francis Drake possessed.

Biography

The future navigator was born in Middle England, the son of a wealthy farmer. Drake Francis was the eldest child in a large family. As the eldest son, he was destined for his father's work, but the heart of young Francis belonged to the sea. Already at the age of 12, he becomes a cabin boy on a merchant ship of one of his many relatives. Diligent and quick training in marine sciences set him apart from his peers. The owner liked the young Drake Francis so much that, dying, he left the ship as a legacy to the former cabin boy. So at the age of 18, Drake becomes the captain of his own ship.

First voyages

At first, like all captains of merchant ships, Drake Francis carried various commercial cargoes to the British kingdom. In 1560, Drake's uncle, John Hawkins, drew attention to the catastrophic shortage of labor on New World plantations. The idea to involve American natives in forced labor was not crowned with success - the Indians did not want to work, were not afraid of torture and death, and their relatives had an unpleasant habit of taking revenge on white people for the kidnapped and tortured redskins.

Another thing is the slaves. They could be imported from the Black Continent, bought for trinkets, sold or exchanged. For us, living in the 21st century, these words sound blasphemous. But for a 16th century Englishman, it was just a business - just like any other.

Trade in live goods

The laws of the New World allowed only those slaves that were supplied by the Trading House of Seville to be traded. But the demand for slaves greatly exceeded the capacity of this commercial organization, and the colonists suffered heavy losses. The owners of tea, coffee, cotton and tobacco plantations were willing to pay good money for cheap labor.

Hawkins decided to take a chance. He shared his idea with several trading enterprises, and they gave him money to start work. Already the first flight to New World with live goods more than paid back the funds invested in the enterprise. Although it was believed that there was nothing reprehensible in Hawkins's actions, the old sailor resorted to cannons and guns when any governor disagreed with his methods of work. Taxes from the enterprise were regularly paid into the treasury of England. Several voyages from Africa to the New World made Hawkins and his patrons very wealthy.

Hawkins-Drake Enterprise

On the third voyage, Hawkins took his nephew and, as usual, headed for the shores of Africa for live goods. By this time, Drake Francis was an experienced captain, sailing in and crossing the Atlantic with veteran smuggler John Lovel. The joint expedition ended tragically - the ships of the corsairs were caught by a storm, the squadron went astray, and the flagship suffered more than the others. John Hawkins decided to get repaired and headed to the port of San Juan de Ulua, located in Honduras. Francis Drake followed suit. What he discovered was the extremely unfriendly reception that this town gave to two sailors. The cannons of the port gave an unequivocal warning that it was very dangerous to approach, and negotiations with the local authorities were unsuccessful. At this time, the sails of the Spanish coastal squadron appeared on the horizon. The smugglers had to engage in an unequal battle. Francis Drake's ship, the Swan, was less damaged during the storm, and the corsair managed to escape from his pursuers, leaving his companion to the mercy of fate.

Having reached the English coast, Drake told everyone that his uncle had died in an unequal battle. But after a few weeks, an unpleasant meeting awaited the corsair: as it turned out, Hawkins managed to survive, and he, with several surviving sailors, was able to escape from the Honduran trap. It is not known what the uncle and nephew were talking about, but after a few years they organized a new expedition and began to raid the New World again.

Pirate Francis Drake

After this incident, Drake swore revenge on the Spanish crown for the unsuccessful Honduran raid. He constantly pursued Spanish ships, causing considerable damage to the crown. How concerned the Spaniards were by Drake's constant attacks is evidenced by the fact that a reward of 20,000 ducats was placed on the head of an English pirate. His first retaliatory expedition left the Portsmouth Docks in 1572. On two ships - "Swan" and "Pasha" - went to the New World and managed to capture the Colombian port of Nombre de Dios. Here he managed to rob several Spanish ships and capture rich booty. Drake then crossed the Isthmus of Panama to see the Pacific Ocean.

Probably, the view of the vast space prompted the pirate to create certain plans, which he was able to carry out a few years later.

War with Ireland

At this time, a war broke out in the homeland of the brave captain. Ireland made another attempt to gain its independence. Drake agrees to enter the service of the Earl of Essex and takes part in naval battles against the Irish. In his squadron were three government frigates, with which he attacked coastal Irish villages and sank enemy ships. For his service in the government fleet, Drake Francis was presented to the Queen as the best of the captains.

Destination - South America

It is not known whether at the first meeting the impudent captain outlined his plans to Queen Elizabeth or it happened during one of the subsequent meetings. Drake stressed that Spain's hegemony in the New World needed to be destroyed, and the coast of the South American continent was ideally suited for this purpose. He was going to destroy the Spanish colonies located in this part of the world and lay down huge booty at the feet of Elizabeth. The Queen of England found Drake's proposal very interesting and even gave him five government ships.

World expedition

In December 1577, Francis Drake (1577 - 1580) began his three-year expedition. His ships headed for South America. After the battle near the Rio de la Plata, he went further south and sailed around Patagonia in two ships. After several skirmishes with the natives, he managed to reach the Strait of Magellan, which was opened in 1520. During a storm, he lost sight of his second ship, which, in the end, returned to the English shores on its own. And the flagship "Golden Doe" continued its journey around the world.

Other shores

On the Pacific shores of South America, Drake thoroughly plundered the rich ports of Peru and Chile, capturing merchant ships and loading up with booty. His greatest success was the capture of the magnificent Spanish ship Nuestra Señora de Concepción, the best ship of the Spanish squadron. The ship captured by Drake was carrying a rich cargo of gold and silver bars, which was estimated at 150,000 pounds - fabulous money at that time. Realizing that the angry Spaniards would be waiting for him on the usual routes, Drake decided to go around the Pacific Ocean and return home by a new route. After replenishing his supplies in 1579, he moved west.

During the voyage, Drake mapped islands and coastlines, established relations with the natives, thereby laying the foundation for England's trade with Asian countries.

Meeting in England

Nearly a three-year voyage has come to an end. In September 1580, Drake arrived in Plymouth. He brought to the port not only his ship, but also a captured Spanish ship, renamed the Kakafuego. The queen received Drake very warmly, because his pirate attacks significantly replenished her treasury. solemnly boarded the Golden Hind and knighted Captain Drake. So the pirate received the title of Sir Francis Drake, and, according to contemporaries, he won the personal favor of the queen and was her favorite.

The corsair's career did not end after such a triumph. The year 1585 found him in the Caribbean, where he commanded a fleet of 25 Her Majesty's ships. He captures the rich city of San Domingo and brings tobacco and potatoes to the English coast. Captain Drake's career ended in 1595 after an unsuccessful attempt to capture Las Palmas. In that battle, Drake's uncle, John Hawkins, died, and the captain himself, ill with malaria, went home. But, unfortunately, the disease progressed, and the famous pirate died in Portobello. His death was a happy day in Spain, where the news of Drake's death was greeted with bells.

It is difficult to overestimate the contribution that Sir Francis Drake made to history. What he discovered can be found on any map of the world. Among the many images he painted of coastlines and small islands, there is a large strait between South America and Antarctica. This strait on all maps of the world bears the name of Francis Drake - the famous pirate and corsair of Her Majesty.

A legendary pirate, he served the Queen of England, defeated the Invincible Armada and circumnavigated the world. He was hated and idolized, he created geopolitics with his own hands and changed the boundaries of the world.

The Dragon

The chief British corsair Francis Drake began his illegal activities in the status of a slave trader, but then the British crown had not yet prosecuted this occupation. Drake, along with his uncle, took African slaves to the New World and traded in petty robbery, until in 1567 they were treacherously attacked by Spanish ships. From that alteration, Drake managed to get out. Now Drake's thirst for profit is mixed with a fierce hatred for the Spaniards and a thirst for revenge - he acts alone, sinks and robs dozens of trading ships of Philip II, mercilessly destroys coastal cities.
The Spaniards in the Caribbean Sea have a serious hindrance - Captain Drake, whose ferocity and cruelty brought him terrible fame among them and the wild nickname El Draco the Dragon. Subsequently, they will even call it "the cause of all wars with England," but this is still a long way off.

Pirate in the service of the crown

In 1575, Francis Drake was introduced to the English Queen Elizabeth I, who offered the pirate (at that time Drake had already earned himself a bad name by numerous robberies and the slave trade) public service. Moreover, she financed, together with other shareholders, his expedition to the east coast of South America. The financial support of the campaign was largely a secret action, in any case, Elizabeth never issued a letter of marque confirming the fact of service to the crown. In addition, the official purpose of the expedition was to discover and explore new lands, but in fact Drake went to the New World to ruthlessly rob Spanish ships and ports.
As it turned out, this was a very far-sighted decision on the part of the British court - Drake not only increased the investments of high-ranking officials, but also made several important geographical discoveries, opened many important sea routes.

Trip around the world

In addition to unconditional military merits (during his raid, Drake plundered many Spanish ships and settlements, significantly shaking the Spaniards' confidence in their superiority at sea) to the British crown, Francis Drake also had major geographical achievements. So he found out that Tierra del Fuego is not, as previously thought, part of the southern continent. And having passed between Tierra del Fuego and Antarctica on his famous ship "Golden Doe", he forever immortalized his name in the name of the strait (Drake Strait - the strait connecting the Pacific and Atlantic oceans). In addition, he became the second person in history (after Magellan) to circumnavigate the world, and unlike Magellan, he returned from the circumnavigation to the point of departure alive. And incredibly rich.

Knighthood

Returning to Britain from a round-the-world voyage, Drake was treated kindly by the English queen in every possible way. His fame spread throughout the country and the world - a round-the-world trip, untold looted wealth (from his trip Drake brought 600 thousand pounds sterling, which was twice the annual income of the English treasury) and a slap in the face of the Spanish fleet and crown turned Drake into a national hero. Queen Elizabeth personally visited Drake on the ship and knighted him right on deck. So the pirate Francis Drake became Sir Francis Drake. And the Spaniards subsequently called him "the cause of all wars with England."

Drake and potatoes

In addition to untold riches, Drake brought another valuable artifact from his expedition - potato tubers. And although the first to bring this vegetable to the Old World was most likely the Spaniard Cieza de Leon, the name of Francis Drake also often pops up in the history of agricultural development in European lands. And, oddly enough, it pops up not only at home - in the German city of Offenburg, a monument was erected to the famous corsair, on which he holds potato tubers in his hand with a dedication inscription “To Sir Francis Drake, who spread potatoes in Europe. Millions of farmers around the world bless his immortal memory. This is a help to the poor, a precious gift of God, alleviating bitter need.

Invincible armada

Despite the achievements and successes of the British fleet, Spain still reigned at sea. In order to finally put an end to the daring raids of the British, the Spanish crown initiated the creation of the Invincible Armada - a huge navy of 130 ships, assembled with the aim of invading England and defeating piracy that had spread under the British flag. The plans of the Spanish king were not destined to come true - the armada was defeated off the coast of England. A huge role in these battles was played by the then Admiral Francis Drake, who, despite the numerical superiority of the Spanish fleet, more than once managed to defeat the enemy.
The battle near the city of Calais is known, in which, thanks to his cunning, the British won a local victory. Drake set fire to the Spanish armada filled with sulfur, tar and gunpowder. The armada cut across the harbor in confusion and became easy prey for the maneuverable English ships. The victory over the Armada further cemented Drake's status as a national hero and favorite of Queen Elizabeth. However, not for long.

Queen's Disfavor

Favor from the queen was not eternal. After the defeat of the Armada, almost all of Drake's ventures were unsuccessful. He failed to capture Lisbon, having spent a substantial amount from the treasury, and fell into disfavor. Elizabeth did not forgive him for his failure and even assigned an overseer to him - Admiral Thomas Baskerville. The next campaign was the last for Drake - at the age of 55, he once again went to the golden shores of America for new treasures. But age, numerous past wounds and an epidemic that broke out along the way did their job - he died of dysentery at sea, not far from Panama. There, dressed in his battle armor and sealed in a lead coffin, he went to his last abode - to the bottom of the ocean.

Francis Drake - navigator, discoverer and favorite corsair of the Queen of England

Francis Drake - navigator, discoverer and favorite corsair of the Queen of England. His exploits and travels forced many to strive for the boundless expanses of the ocean. However, only a few managed to achieve the level of wealth and fame that Francis Drake possessed. Francis Drake Biography The future navigator was born in Central England, in the family of a wealthy farmer. Drake Francis was the eldest child in a large family. As the eldest son, he was destined for his father's work, but the heart of young Francis belonged to the sea. Already at the age of 12, he becomes a cabin boy on a merchant ship of one of his many relatives. Diligent and quick training in marine sciences set him apart from his peers. The owner liked the young Drake Francis so much that, dying, he left the ship as a legacy to the former cabin boy. So at the age of 18, Drake becomes the captain of his own ship.

First voyages At first, like all captains of merchant ships, Drake Francis carried various commercial cargoes to the British kingdom. In 1560, Drake's uncle, John Hawkins, drew attention to the catastrophic shortage of labor on New World plantations. The idea to involve American natives in forced labor was not crowned with success - the Indians did not want to work, were not afraid of torture and death, and their relatives had an unpleasant habit of taking revenge on white people for the kidnapped and tortured redskins. Another thing is the slaves. They could be imported from the Black Continent, bought for trinkets, sold or exchanged. For us, living in the 21st century, these words sound blasphemous. But for an Englishman of the 16th century, it was just a business - just like any other. Pirate Francis Drake

Trade in live goods

The laws of the New World allowed only those slaves that were supplied by the Trading House of Seville to be traded. But the demand for slaves greatly exceeded the capacity of this commercial organization, and the colonists suffered heavy losses. The owners of tea, coffee, cotton and tobacco plantations were willing to pay good money for cheap labor. Hawkins decided to take a chance. He shared his idea with several trading enterprises, and they gave him money to start work. Already the first flight to the New World with live goods more than paid off the funds invested in the enterprise. Although it was believed that there was nothing reprehensible in Hawkins's actions, the old sailor resorted to cannons and guns when any governor disagreed with his methods of work. Taxes from the enterprise were regularly paid into the treasury of England. Several voyages from Africa to the New World made Hawkins and his patrons very wealthy. Hawkins-Drake Enterprise

On the third voyage, Hawkins took his nephew Francis Drake and, as usual, headed for the shores of Africa for live goods. By this time, Drake Francis was an experienced captain, sailing in the Bay of Biscay and crossing the Atlantic with veteran smuggler John Lovel. The joint expedition ended tragically - the ships of the corsairs were caught by a storm, the squadron went astray, and the flagship suffered more than the others. John Hawkins decided to get repaired and headed to the port of San Juan de Ulua, located in Honduras. Francis Drake followed suit. What he discovered was the extremely unfriendly reception that this town gave to two sailors. The cannons of the port gave an unequivocal warning that it was very dangerous to approach, and negotiations with the local authorities were unsuccessful. At this time, the sails of the Spanish coastal squadron appeared on the horizon. The smugglers had to engage in an unequal battle. Francis Drake's ship "Swan" was less damaged during the storm, and the corsair managed to escape from his pursuers, leaving his companion to the mercy of fate. Francis Drake 1577 1580

On December 13, 1577, Francis Drake set off on his famous expedition. For her, he will receive a knighthood. And later he will become famous as a participant in the defeat of the Invincible Armada. Here are ten more interesting facts about "Her Majesty Elizabeth's Pirate"

The name of the corsair underwent curious metamorphoses

In the Spanish colonies, he was called El Drak - "Dragon" ("El Draque"). Yes, and in Latin his name was written as Franciscus Draco - Francisco the Dragon. A worthy name for a pirate and a knight. The name Drake in obsolete English meant exactly the Dragon, but in modern English it is translated as ... a drake.

Francis became captain at 18

He was the eldest son in a family of twelve children. No wonder that at the age of 12 the boy had to work - he became a cabin boy on the merchant ship of his distant relative. At the same time, the owner of the ship fell in love with him so much that he bequeathed his ship to Francis. At the age of 18, the young man became a full captain. After some time, he began to sail in the squadron of John Hawkins, another of his distant relatives, trading in slaves and delivering them from Africa to the Spanish colonies.

Francis Drake became a pirate for revenge

During the next slave expedition, the Spaniards attacked the British and sank almost all of their ships - only two ships survived - Drake and Hawkins. The British demanded that the Spanish king pay them for the lost ships. Upon hearing the refusal, Drake declared that he himself would take everything from the King of Spain. Drake did not forget his promise, and, after some time, went to the Spanish possessions in the West Indies. There he captured the city, several ships and - most importantly - robbed the Spanish "Silver Caravan", which was carrying about 30 tons of silver. A year later, Drake returned to his homeland a rich man and a captain famous throughout England.

For pirate adventures, the queen granted Drake ... a knighthood

In 1577, Queen Elizabeth herself sent Drake on an expedition to the American coast. Officially, the navigator had to discover new lands, unofficially - to rob as much gold as possible. Drake did both. Attacking Spanish ports, he passed along the coast of South America and then explored the coast much further north, as far as present-day Vancouver. Having landed near San Francisco (according to another version - in modern Oregon), he declared this coast an English possession, "New Albion". From this journey he brought back £600,000, twice the annual income of England. For these services to the kingdom, Elizabeth I awarded him a knighthood.

Drake's Galleon "Golden Hind"

Francis Drake introduced the tradition of saluting military honors

When Queen Elizabeth granted the English corsair a knighthood, she herself appeared on Drake's ship to knight the hero. As a sign of his reverence for the queen, Drake covered his eyes with his hand: this gesture symbolized that he was blinded by the beauty and radiance of Elizabeth. Since then, the tradition of saluting before high people has taken root, although the gesture itself has changed slightly.

Drake carefully cared for the impression that

In his opinion, external brilliance strengthens his authority in the eyes of the team and everyone around him. Therefore, he ordered that his cabin be carefully equipped and decorated, and he ordered several elegant camisoles from the best tailors. Drake had a Negro slave and a page, cousin John. A trumpeter and a drummer, usual for such voyages, were already hired on the ship, but Drake did not limit himself to this and took three more musicians on the ship. Here he intended not only to delight his own ears, but also to cheer up the team with music.

Drake was a noble pirate

He was proud that he did not shed the blood of a single Spaniard in vain - not counting those who died in a fair fight. There was even a case when a Spanish ship mistook Drake's ships for their compatriots - so incredible was the appearance of enemies in the Spanish harbor. The Spaniards let Drake's boat close to them, and then 18 Englishmen, led by Drake, took the Spanish ships without firing a shot. Against the chase, Drake developed a cunning strategy: he ordered to cut the masts of the captured ships and sent them to sail at the behest of the waves.

Drake popularized the potato in Europe

In 1580 he brought back tubers from his famous expedition. And although Columbus had already brought potatoes from his voyages, the outlandish vegetable gained real popularity precisely thanks to Drake. At first, its flowers were threaded into the hair, and the potato played a rather decorative role. And then the Europeans tasted the tubers of the plant - and millions of poor farmers were saved from hunger and "bitter need". This is exactly what is written on the pedestal of the monument to Drake, who spread the potato in Europe, "the precious gift of God." The monument stands in the city of Offenburg - a stone statue of a great pirate holding a potato flower in his hand.

Francis Drake is the first navigator to complete a circumnavigation of the world

For him, the expedition of 1577 was successful in all respects. Drake brought not only wealth and "blessed" potatoes, but also immortalized himself as a special traveler around the world. Yes, before Drake, Fernando Magellan was the first to circumnavigate the world, but other people brought his ship home - the navigator himself died in the Philippines. Francis Drake, on the other hand, brought his ship home himself, thus becoming the first navigator to complete a round-the-world expedition. And among the English, he was the first to dare such a feat.

Drake's raids helped Spanish officials cover up theft

The expeditions of Francis Drake, of course, brought a lot of losses to the Spanish treasury. But in general, his atrocities are considered exaggerated. Because some of the treasury was stolen by the Spanish officials themselves - and it was convenient to attribute the loss of money to the famous corsair.