What did the English pirate Francis Drake discover? Francis Drake Queen's Iron Pirate Francis Drake opening 1577 1580.

Sir Francis Drake (English Francis Drake; c. 1540 - January 28, 1596) - an English navigator, slave trader, a prominent politician 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.

The first Englishman to sail around the world (1577-1580).

Childhood and youth

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

Francis became the firstborn in a farmer's family. When 11 more children were born one after another, the father, Edmund Drake, became a village preacher to support a large family. In 1549, the family, having leased their land, moved to the south-east of England, to the county of 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 sea voyages, fame and wealth, became a cabin boy on a merchant ship (barque) of his uncle, who fell in love with the hardworking, persistent and calculating 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.

A life full of adventure

In 1567 Drake set out on his first serious voyage to the West Indies, commanding a ship as part of a slave trade 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, naturally, refused, then Drake "declared war" on the Spanish crown.

In 1572, the sailor set off on his own second 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) on, then several ships near the harbor near the Venezuelan city (Spanish. Cartagena).

During this expedition, an English corsair attacked in the Isthmus of Panama on a Spanish squadron, called the "Silver Caravan", heading from Panama to Nombre de Dios, in whose holds were approx. 30 tons of silver. On August 9, 1573, Drake returned to Plymouth as a rich man, fanned by the glory of the successful corsair, "the storm of the seas."

On November 15, 1577, Queen Elizabeth I of England ordered her faithful privateer to set off on an expedition to the Pacific coast of America. 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 ("Elizabeth", "Sea gold", "Swan", "Christopher") ships and 2 small auxiliary vessels. By that time, he was already surrounded by the glory of the "iron pirate", an experienced navigator and a talented naval tactician.

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

Francis went south to (Spanish. Estrecho de Magallanes), which the squadron was successful, but on the way out it got into a fierce storm, which scattered the ships of the squadron. One ship crashed on the rocks, the other was thrown back into the strait, and its captain decided to return to England.

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

Unwittingly, Drake made an important geographical discovery: it turned out that (Spanish Tierra del Fuego) is not part of the unknown southern continent, but just a large island, beyond which the open sea continues. Subsequently, the wide 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, plundering jewels 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 loot was fabulous. An especially large jackpot was waiting for the "sea wolf" in (Spanish Valparaiso) - pirates seized a ship standing in the harbor, loaded with gold and expensive goods, and a large stock of golden sand was stored in the city. But most importantly, the Spanish ship ended up with secret nautical charts with a detailed description of the western coast of South America.

Spanish cities and settlements on the coast did not anticipate an attack by the British 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, Drake captured a galleon laden with spices and Chinese silk.

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

Drake Fleet Movement Map (1572-1580)

Then he crossed the 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 to Plymouth, making the 2nd round the world voyage after Magellan in 2 years 10 months and 11 days. At home, the pirate was greeted as a national hero, he was awarded an honorary knighthood by the Queen.

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

It should be mentioned that his campaign caused a major international scandal, since there was no official state of war between Spain and England during this period. The Spanish king even demanded that the Queen of England punish Drake for piracy, pay damages 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 Royal Naval 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 was obliged to have a castle, Sir Francis bought an estate in Buckland (English Buckland Abbey, Devon).

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

Soon, having received the rank of vice admiral, he prepared 21 ships for the campaign. In 1585, an impressive squadron set out to sea, but the captain did not dare to go to the shores 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 Augustine (Spanish San Augustine).

In 1587, Drake launched his extraordinary daring attack on the most important Spanish port of Cadiz: with 4 warships, he broke into the port, sank and burned more than 30 Spanish ships. As Francis himself put it, he deftly "set the Spanish King's beard on fire." And on the way back, the corsair off the Portuguese coast destroyed about 100 enemy ships. However, the richest booty was delivered 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 were over 150 warships.

Drake's English Armada

The corsair tried to capture 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 British treasury 50 thousand pounds sterling, which the stingy Queen could not tolerate and the Iron Pirate had 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 in the crews. Drake brought 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. Soon Sir Francis himself fell ill, and on January 28, 1596, at the age of 56, he died of dysentery near Puerto Bello (present-day Portobelo in Panama). According to tradition, the famous seafarer was buried under the salvo of ship's guns in the ocean, placing his 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, 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 wealthy 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 did not have children, all his fortune subsequently passed to his nephew, whose name was also Francis.

Francis Drake: Memory

Curious facts

Drake, Francis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sir Francis Drake (English Francis Drake; circa 1540 - January 28, 1596) - English navigator and corsair of the time of Elizabeth I. The first Englishman who made a round-the-world voyage (in 1577-1580) Defeated the Spanish fleet (Invincible Armada) in the Battle of Graveline 1588 Owned Buckland-Abbey Estate in Yelverton.

Biography

Childhood and youth
Francis Drake was born in Crowndale, near Teyvistock, in Devonshire, into the family of a farmer (father - Edmund Drake), who later became a priest. In total, the Drake family had twelve children, Francis was the eldest. In 1549, the Drake Family moved to Kent. At the age of 13 he became a sailor, was an assistant to the captain, and at the age of 16 he took command of a ship - a small barque. The first voyages are in the North Sea.

Adulthood
In 1567, he set sail for Guinea and the West Indies, commanding a ship on a slave trade expedition of his relative John Hawkins. During this expedition, the ships of the British were attacked by the Spaniards, and most of them were sunk. According to various sources, from one (Drake's ship) to three ships survived.

In 1572, he went on his own expedition to the Spanish possessions in the West Indies, captured the city of Nombre de Diaz on the Isthmus of Panama, captured ships in the harbor of Cartagena, and burned Portobello. During this raid, Drake crossed the Isthmus of Panama several times by land and captured the Spanish "Silver Caravan" (about 30 tons of silver). On August 9, 1573, Drake returned to Plymouth famous.

On November 15, 1577, Drake was sent by Queen Elizabeth on an expedition to the Pacific coast of America. The official purpose of the trip was to discover new lands, in particular Australia. In fact, Drake had to loot as much Spanish gold as possible and return to England with this cargo. Francis embarked on this voyage in the 100-ton flagship Pelican, accompanied by four more ships. Without entering the Strait of Magellan, Drake was the first to go around Tierra del Fuego, thereby finding out that it is not part of the southern continent (although Drake's primacy is disputed).

After the flagship "Pelican" was the only one of all ships "made his way" to the Pacific Ocean, it was renamed the "Golden Hind". Drake sailed along the Pacific coast, attacking Spanish ports such as Valparaiso, and explored the coast well north of the Spanish colonies, as far as present-day Vancouver. On June 17, 1579, Drake landed, it is assumed, in the San Francisco area (according to another hypothesis, in modern Oregon) and declared this coast an English possession ("New Albion").

After restocking and repairing, Drake crossed the Pacific Ocean to the Moluccas. Bypassing Africa, Drake returned to England on September 26, 1580, bringing back £ 600,000 of treasure. For this expedition, Drake was awarded a knighthood. In 1588 he was one of the English admirals who defeated the Spanish "Invincible Armada". After that, Drake invited Elizabeth I of England to attack Lisbon. The British, led by Drake, would have captured Lisbon, but he had no siege weapons. After that, he lost the queen's favor. He died of dysentery at dawn on January 28, 1596.

Drake and the World Map
Drake is also known in geography. The strait between Tierra del Fuego and Antarctica is named after him.

A legendary pirate, he served the English queen, defeated the Invincible Armada and sailed around the world. He was hated and adored, he created geopolitics with his own hands and changed the boundaries of the world.

The Dragon

The main British corsair Francis Drake began his illegal activities in the status of a slave trader, but then this occupation was not yet prosecuted by the British crown. Drake, along with his uncle, drove African slaves to the New World and traded in petty robbery, until in 1567 they were treacherously attacked by Spanish ships. Drake managed to get out of that alteration. Now Drake's thirst for profit is mingled with fierce hatred of the Spaniards and a thirst for revenge - he acts alone, sinks and plunders the merchant ships of Philip II by dozens, ruthlessly destroys coastal cities.
The Spaniards in the Caribbean have a serious obstacle - 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 him "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 Queen Elizabeth I of England, who offered the pirate (at that time, Drake had already earned a notoriety for numerous robberies and slave trade) civil service. Moreover, she financed, together with other shareholders, his expedition to the east coast of South America. Financial support for the campaign was largely a secret action, in any case, Elizabeth never issued a privateer license confirming the fact of service to the crown. In addition, the official goal of the expedition was the discovery and exploration of new lands, but in fact, Drake went to the New World to mercilessly plunder 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 merit (during his raid, Drake plundered many Spanish ships and settlements, noticeably shaking the confidence of the Spaniards in their superiority at sea) before the British crown, Francis Drake also has major geographical achievements. So he found out that Tierra del Fuego is not, as previously thought, part of the southern continent. And passing between Tierra del Fuego and Antarctica on his famous ship "Golden Hind", he immortalized his name in the name of the strait forever (Drake Strait - the strait connecting the Pacific and Atlantic oceans). In addition, he became the second person in history (after Magellan) to travel around the world, and unlike Magellan, he returned from the circumnavigation of the world to the point of departure alive. And immeasurably rich.

Knighthood

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

Drake and potatoes

In addition to countless riches, Drake brought another valuable artifact from his expedition - potato tubers. And although the first who brought 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 comes up not only at home - in the German city of Offenburg, a monument is erected to the famous corsair, on which he holds potato tubers in his hand with an inscription dedicated to “Sir Francis Drake, who spread potatoes in Europe. Millions of farmers around the world bless his immortal memory. This is help to the poor, a precious gift from God that relieves bitter need. "

Invincible armada

Despite the achievements and successes of the British fleet, Spain still reigned at sea. To finally put an end to the daring raids of the British, the Spanish crown initiated the creation of the Invincible Armada - a huge 130 ships of the navy, assembled with the aim of invading England and defeating the piracy that 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 Francis Drake, who at that time became Admiral, 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 sent torched ships filled with sulfur, tar and gunpowder at the Spanish armada. The armada split across the harbor in confusion and became easy prey for the maneuverable English ships. The victory over the Armada further strengthened Drake's status as a national hero and favorite of Queen Elizabeth. However, not for long.

Queen's disfavor

The Queen's favor was not eternal. After the defeat of the Armada, virtually all of Drake's ventures were unsuccessful. He was unable to capture Lisbon, spending a substantial sum from the treasury, and fell out of favor. Elizabeth did not forgive him for his failure and even assigned an overseer to him - Admiral Thomas Baskerville. The next campaign became 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 the 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.

The most successful corsair in history often took desperate risks. And he almost always won. What was it? Sober calculation or miracles of exceptional luck?

By the middle of the 16th century, an unusual situation had developed in the Atlantic - in the Caribbean and off the coast of Europe. In just a few years, in these waters, which used to be dangerous only with their storms, a new terrible danger appeared - pirates! And the first violin in this concert immediately began to be played by the British. Why exactly are they? England was late for the carve-up of American and Asian colonies. IN Xvi century, the Spaniards and the Portuguese settled there. This means that it was difficult for English men to become new conquistadors. Where to go for a young, brave, strong guy who wants to get rich quick? Of course, the pirates! And given the fact that piracy was almost officially encouraged by the British government, sea robbery has literally become a national idea of \u200b\u200bBritain.

And the most prominent pirates became national heroes. Sir became such a specific hero. Francis Drake – one of the greatest pirates the land of England has ever produced.

Of course, at birth, Drake was not a sir at all. This is then the queen , pleased with the pirate's activities, which are very beneficial (for the treasury), will grant him the title of knight. And about 1540 yearwhen in the family of a Devonshire farmer Edmund Drake a boy was born, who was named Francis, no one could have imagined that he would become a sir, vice admiral and a thunderstorm of the Spanish crown.

However, one should not consider the small English landowners (yeomen), from among whom the parents of the future pirate came, as representatives of the lowest classes. So, young Francis received a very good (at that time) education.

He knew how to read and write. And not only in English, but also in French. From his father, who in his declining years passed from "agricultural workers" to preachers, Drake inherited the art of persuasion - an indispensable quality for any leader (including the leader of sea robbers).

When Francis was still a teenager, his father gave him an apprentice to the skipper of a merchant boat. It is unlikely that Drake Sr. dreamed of seeing his son as a robber. Rather, he wanted to provide the boy with guaranteed employment in adulthood. And in England the second half Xvi century, the most demanded professions were those that were somehow connected with the sea.

So Francis becomes a cabin boy on the ship. The ship is merchant and only operates in coastal waters. This is not even a school yet, but a kindergarten for every English sailor. But you must definitely go through it in order to step up. And the school specifically for Francis has already become a service with John Hawkins - the famous sailor of the Elizabethan era. Hawkins was eight years older than Drake. And most importantly, he was a nobleman with connections. Therefore, Hawkins quickly became an influential leader, and the son of commoners, Drake, at first only worked for him.

What did Drake do with Hawkins? Oh, then it was the most demanded (just appeared, but promising great prospects) business - slave trade!

The Slave Trade: Young Sailor's School

So, if coastal (coastal) sailing was Drake's kindergarten, then John Hawkins' slave expeditions became his school.

Sharp-witted, with a well-hanging tongue, sailor Drake quickly attracted the attention of the owner. A promising young man receives a bark under his command "Judith"... Very quickly, Drake becomes John Hawkins' right-hand man.

However, in 1568 year Hawkins - Drake's growing business suffered an unexpected fiasco. During a regular visit to the New World with a party of slaves, at the Mexican fortress of San Juan de Ulua, Hawkins 'squadron was attacked by the Spaniards, who had long been suspicious of British ships' visits to their colonies. Madrid believed that trade with the Spanish colonies, including slaves, should be carried out by Spanish merchants, and not by foreigners.

Having abandoned the flagship with all the valuables, Hawkins managed to escape from the Spaniards in the light ship Mignon. Escaped from the ring of Spanish ships and Drake in his "Judith". The rest of the British ships sank or were captured.

Outraged slave traders Drake and Hawkins arrived in England, where through official channels they demanded from the Spanish king compensation for the losses incurred as a result of such a flagrant "violation of international law." The fact that before its defeat the Hawkins squadron, in addition to the slave trade, still managed to plunder some coastal Mexican settlements, the plaintiffs modestly passed over in silence.

King of spain Philip II , of course, I ignored this complaint. Then Drake decided that “ do not wait for favors from Spain, to take them from her is our task". So the world was no longer a slave trader, but a pirate Drake ...

Drake's First Pirate Raid

Drake's first pirate raid 1572 year glorified his name throughout England. Equipping several ships partly on his own, partly on state funds, he went to the Caribbean. There, after a series of successes of the middle hand, Francis was waiting for a major success of the "Silver Fleet" of the Spanish crown ...

Every spring a flotilla of dozens of ships sailed from the coast of America to Spain. She carried mountains of silver from the famous Bolivian silver mines in Potosí. Therefore, this flotilla was nicknamed the "Silver Fleet".
Of course, for Drake and his small squadron, there could be no question of capturing the entire "Silver Fleet", which consisted of several dozen cargo and military (security) ships with a large and trained crew. But the fact is that the "Silver Fleet" was formed in Havana (the starting point of the trip to Spain).
In the main port of Cuba, Spanish ships arrived from all parts of South and Central America, carrying silver and other valuables, mined or plundered in the subject territories. From these mini-squadrons, then the mighty "Silver Fleet" was formed, about an attack on which in full strength there was nothing to think about.

But Drake was just lucky to intercept such a Spanish mini-squadron, transporting a valuable cargo to Havana.... The extraction of the British was colossal - 30 tons of silver. Drake returned to England as a rich man and a famous pirate throughout the country.

Pirate and Queen: Secret Additional Agreement

Drake's second sortie was even more successful than his first. In November 1577 year Drake went on an expedition to the Pacific coast of America. The squadron sailed with the full official support of the Queen. Elizabeth , who was convinced of the talents of the ambitious captain and the incredible profitability of such events for the treasury. However, formally, the purpose of the trip was to discover new lands.

However, everyone understood that Drake went on a campaign not for educational purposes. A secret contract was attached to the official instructions, according to which the queen, at her own expense, equips Drake a squadron of six ships, and in return he undertakes to hand over 50% of the valuables captured during the "journey" to the royal treasury.

The results of the campaign exceeded all the wildest expectations. Drake marched with fire and sword along the Pacific coast, attacking Spanish cities and towns. But these were all small things compared to the main prize - manila galleon... Every year, on the other side of the planet, a galleon left Manila (in the Spanish Philippines), which carried to the metropolis all the loot on these Asian islands for a whole year.

But the Spaniards were afraid to sail west across the Indian Ocean, skirting the Cape of Good Hope. They feared (and quite rightly) Asian, Arab, African and, of course, European sea robbers, which were found in abundance in the waters of the Indian and Atlantic oceans.

Therefore, the Spaniards chose a different path. To the east, in a straight line across the Pacific Ocean to the port of Acapulco in Spanish Mexico. There, the values \u200b\u200bof the Manila galleon were unloaded, transported by land to the opposite (Atlantic) coast, where they were again loaded onto ships and sent to Spain proper. This path was quite time consuming, but shorter and, most importantly, safer ...

Yes, it was safer that way. They had already got used to the British pirates in the Caribbean and were holding military squadrons against them. But in the Pacific Ocean they have not yet been seen. And they did not provide serious protection.

And so, having rounded South America through the Strait of Magellan, the Drake pirates escaped into the operational (Pacific) space ...

Defeated Leviathan

In the spring 1579 yearApproaching the harbor of the Mexican port of Acapulco (on the Pacific coast of Mexico), Drake saw the silhouette of a huge ship in the roadstead. It was that Manila galleon!

This ship could not be confused with any other. The fact is that Spanish entrepreneurs, dissatisfied with the competition with suppliers of inexpensive Asian products (primarily textiles), persuaded the king to issue a special decree. It was decided that only one cargo ship could be sent from the Philippines to Spain per year. So the Castilian weavers wanted to restrict the flow of cheap Asian fabrics.

But Spanish traders and merchants in the Philippines found a way out. They began to build this one and only legal vessel of such size that it can hold all the necessary goods at once. For its era, it was truly a giant ship.

The sailing fleet had never seen such a giant before. Some of the Manila monsters had a displacement of 2,000 tons (for comparison: the largest ship in Drake's squadron did not even reach 300 tons). And so Drake saw such a leviathan in the harbor of Acapulco, where the galleon, apparently, had just arrived with a load.

Drake did not hesitate. He had a surprise factor and a desperate team of cutthroats on his side. The Spaniards were taken by surprise, most of the team was on the shore. The resistance of the small guard was quickly broken. Countless treasures (and not only Chinese silk was brought from the Philippines, but also spices, and porcelain, and precious stones) fell into the hands of pirates.

It should be noted that the Manila galleons at the time of Drake did not yet have guns, so they could not give artillery resistance to the daring invaders. The Spaniards were accustomed to sailing calmly across the Pacific Ocean, where there were no serious pirates. Why then guns?

However, after Drake's raid, as well as after 1587 year another british gentleman of good luck, Thomas Cavendish captured by the Manila galleon "Saint Anna", the Spaniards have revised their shipping safety regulations. Manila galleons are now equipped with cannons, and the military command on galleons has been significantly increased. With these innovations, the attack became a very problematic task.

But Drake was lucky. He turned out to be the first, that's why he hit such a fat jackpot.

Golden Doe brings two state budgets

When in September 1580 year, after a three-year absence, Drake's only surviving ship is his famous flagship "Golden Doe" - entered Plymouth Harbor, treasures in the amount of £ 600,000 rested in the holds of the ship. This was twice the annual budget of the entire English kingdom!

Drake was greeted as a national hero. The queen was delighted. In one fell swoop, the dear Sir Francis (he became sir because he was knighted immediately upon his return) brought her a fantastic gift. According to a secret additional agreement, the queen was entitled to half of all the booty, that is, in this case, 300,000 pounds sterling.

The next, third in a row, Drake's raid on the Spanish colonies was also effective. IN 1586 year the pirate managed to get from Cartagena, one of the largest cities in Spanish America, a ransom of 107,000 gold pesos unheard of at that time. True, in order to achieve this impressive result, Drake had to first burn about a quarter of the city to excuse it (which, by the way, was pretty happy for Queen Elizabeth, who was then thirsty for "Spanish blood").

Then there was a daring raid on the Spanish coast itself (on Cadiz in 1587), in order, as the pirate captain himself jokingly put it, "to set the king of Spain on fire."

Along the way, near the Azores, Drake captured the San Filipe caracca, which was sailing from India with a large cargo of gold, spices and silk (the production was £ 114,000; the queen, as before, received her share).

And in 1588 year Sir Francis Drake took an active part in the defeat of the Spanish Invincible Armada. In England, he became a national hero, and for the Spanish king he became the embodiment of universal evil.

Drake's last case

Drake made his last pirate expedition to the West Indies (America) in 1595-1596 in the company of John Hawkins, a man to whom he owed much of his enchanting career.

Having tied up with the slave trade, John Hawkins also became a pirate. Although here he had to concede the palm to his former protégé (Drake), nevertheless the Spaniards were in awe of his name. Starting another military action against the hated England, the Spanish king was interested in the first thing: where are Drake and Hawkins now, what are they doing, what are they doing? That is, the distant absence of these gentlemen gives at least some hope for success.

But by the middle 1590s Hawkins felt guilty towards the queen. On his previous expedition, he brought much less gold than he himself expected, and much less than the queen expected. For this, the 60-year-old sea wolf was given a real drag in the palace.

Wanting to justify himself, Hawkins wrote to the Queen a letter of repentance in the biblical spirit: they say, man proposes, but God disposes.

The pious queen this time (as every other time when it came to pounds sterling) did not heed the religious arguments of her ward. In her hearts, she said to those close to her:

"This fool went out to sea as a warrior, and came back with a priest!"

Hawkins realized that God-fearing rhetoric did not catch the queen. Redhead Bess (Red Beth - Elizabeth's nickname) it is necessary to give what she most desires, namely gold. For help, he turned to his old companion, Drake. By the way, the queen also cooled a little towards Francis. And all for the same reason: it has been a long time since he received new chests of gold.

Two old friends decided to improve their reputation in the eyes of the royal court and set off on another expedition to the shores of Spanish America. Alas, this voyage was the last for both of them.

Hawkins died in November 1595 off the coast of Puerto Rico. And after two months, January 28, 1596, near Puer to Bello (now Portobelo in Panama) francis Drake also died of dysentery... The famous pirate was buried in the ocean in a lead coffin.

The famous English pirate Francis Drake became involved in pirate adventures at the age of 26, in 1567. Back in his youth, he was one of the members of the Hawkins expedition. Drake set out on another voyage from Plymouth on May 24, 1572. He decided to implement it on his own ship "Sevan". Francis's younger brother, John, was entrusted with the management of another ship, the Pasha. Drake, during this campaign and other voyages, made pirate raids in the Caribbean Sea off the island of Pinos (today it is Juventud Island) and off the coast of Cuba.

Francis returned after numerous "exploits" to England on November 3, 1580. Queen Elizabeth greeted him with great honors. She even gave the pirate a sword, which bore the inscription that if Drake was hit, it meant that the whole kingdom was hit. Elizabeth conferred the title of sir on Francis. He became Admiral of the British Navy and Member of Parliament. Strange, isn't it? However, Francis Drake received all this deservedly. In the fall of 1580, he returned not just from a pirate campaign. Francis traveled around the world. After reading this article, you will find out what Francis Drake discovered and what are the results of his expedition. We will also dwell in detail on how this famous journey took place.

Interestingly, no one instructed him to sail around the world, and the pirate himself did not plan it. In those days, many geographical discoveries were made by accident, as a result of unforeseen circumstances.

Swimming preparation

Francis Drake in the fall of 1577 completed the preparations for the pirate campaign. He planned to go to the Pacific (western) coast of South America. The preparation was carried out not without the help of influential patrons, among whom was Queen Elizabeth herself. The idea of \u200b\u200bthe campaign was simple: the Spaniards did not expect an attack on the west coast of South America, either from sea or from land. Consequently, coastal settlements and ships can be robbed with virtually impunity.

Departure to the sea, stop in San Julian

Ships of Francis Drake (there were 4 in total) at the end of 1577 left Plymouth. Already in April next year, the pirates reached the mouth of the river. La Plati. After making a short stop, they headed south. The pirates proceeded along the coast of Patagonia. This is the name of the part of modern Argentina, stretching from the Strait of Magellan to the river bed. Rio Negro. In the bay of San Julian, located in the south of Patagonia, Francis's flotilla decided to make a stop. By the way, it is known that it was in this bay that Magellan wintered in June - October 1520.

Difficulties faced by the team

After this stop, the flotilla went further, however, already in the composition of three ships. The fact is that one ship became out of order and was burned on Drake's orders. Soon the travelers reached the Strait of Magellan. Its winding and difficult fairway was barely overcome in 20 days. The sailors suffered from the cold. It was July, the coldest month in the Southern Hemisphere. Finally, the team entered the Pacific Ocean and continued north towards the tropics. Suddenly, the pirates were overtaken by a violent storm. One ship out of three went missing. Most likely, he crashed and drowned somewhere in the ocean. Another ship entered the Strait of Magellan again. The pirates who sailed on this ship managed to return to England. There is only one ship left. It was Francis Drake's flagship, the Golden Hind.

How Drake made the discovery

After the storm, the ship turned out to be far to the south. Francis Drake noticed that Tierra del Fuego ends here. To the south of it there is a boundless ocean. So, by chance, an important geographical discovery was made. It became clear that Tierra del Fuego is an island. Previously it was believed that this is part of the Unknown Land. What Francis Drake discovered was very important. Later, the strait between Antarctica and South America deservedly began to be called

Attacks on Spanish ships, rich booty

The ocean has finally calmed down and the weather has improved. Noticing this, Francis Drake decided to continue the expedition he had begun. The pirate turned his only ship north. Sensing the proximity of the subtropics, the team perked up. The sailors began to forget the hardships of the voyage that they experienced in the Tierra del Fuego region after the first Spanish ships appeared. As a result of attacks on them, the holds of the "Golden Doe" gradually began to fill with jewels and gold.

Drake did not unnecessarily take the lives of those he robbed. Because of this, his pirate operations proceeded with virtually no casualties in his crew. Drake developed an almost friendly relationship with the Chilean Indians. The availability of wine, food and women from local tribes, rich booty became a reward for the hardships and dangers experienced before. Drake captured a Spanish galleon, which transported jewelry and gold from the American colonies to the Spanish treasury. Not every pirate could boast of such luck. The wealth obtained was so great that there was nowhere to load it. It was necessary to return home, but how?

Return trip

Of course, Francis did not know, and he could not know about the plans of the Spaniards. However, being an experienced captain, he was able to foresee that the Spanish ships, intending to destroy him, would go through the Strait of Magellan towards. And so it happened. It was necessary to save people, themselves and the stolen jewelry. And what did Francis Drake do? He decided to head north, moving along the west coast of America. The length of this path is amazing. Drake sailed from Tierra del Fuego (of course, stopping several times on the shore) along the coast of Peru and Chile, past the lands of Mexico and Central America, along the western coast of the modern United States. In he reached 48 degrees N, that is, he reached the US border with present-day Canada. In total, the length of this path is at least 20 thousand km, since the ship did not move strictly along the meridian. The vessel circled the shores of both Americas.

Farther and farther to the west the coast deviated. Fleeing pursuit, Francis was probably ready to get to the Atlantic Ocean, circling North America. However, this was impossible to carry out, since the pirate did not know if there was such a path. There was only one way out - to turn west, finding yourself in the vastness of the Pacific Ocean. Heading southwest, Drake reached 3 months later. After another 1.5-2 months, his ship was already moving between the islands of the Moluccan archipelago. Drake in this area may well have met with Portuguese or Spanish warships. However, he was lucky to avoid these meetings.

The final stage of the journey

The next stage of the famous pirate's voyage can also be called unique in its kind. Drake's ship sailed from across the Indian Ocean to the Cape of Good Hope. The travelers, having rounded this cape, moved north. They decided to sail along the western coast of Africa and the Iberian Peninsula. After a while, the pirates reached the Bay of Biscay. They arrived in Plymouth at the beginning of November 1580. Thus, the trip lasting 3 years turned out to be around the world.

Merit of Francis Drake

Pirate Francis Drake is the second captain after F. Magellan, who managed to make a round-the-world trip. However, he was much more fortunate than his predecessor. After all, Magellan did not make it to Portugal. He died in a skirmish with Aboriginal people in the Philippine Islands. 1.5 years after his death, the only surviving ship was brought to Lisbon by the crew members who managed to survive.

Achievements of Francis Drake consisted not only in the fact that he managed to save his life in a dangerous and long voyage. He brought back most of the Golden Hind sailors. In addition, Francis Drake's galleon, under the personal command of the captain, was brought to port. In addition, the ship was carrying a large cargo of gold and various jewelry.

Immediately after this voyage (1577-1580), Francis Drake from a simple pirate, as he was a few years ago, turned into a respected admiral of the British fleet. The Queen of England herself gave him all kinds of honors. Francis Drake's discoveries were appreciated.

After that, Francis went to sea many times. He fought Spanish ships. Francis in 1588 participated in repelling the attack of the Spanish Invincible Armada. The battle ended in victory for the British. The famous pirate died in 1596, having set off on another journey a year earlier. In the Caribbean, he died of dysentery.

Drake Passage

And today, a wide strait connecting the South Shetland Islands and Tierra del Fuego is named after this pirate. An uninformed person may think that this is some kind of misunderstanding or historical curiosity. But now, when we know all the circumstances of this case, it is safe to say that there is no mistake. That's right, because Drake has done a lot for his homeland. But not only for her. What Francis Drake did for geography is no less, and perhaps more important.