Sir+Frances+Drake

 **Sir Francis Drake** (1540 – 1596) 1. (Map Below) 2. Short Bio – Francis Drake was born in 1540 to a preacher and his wife in Devon, England. He went to sea at age thirteen, and by age twenty he was already in command of a ship. At age twenty-three, Drake made his first voyage to the New World with his cousin John Hawkins of Plymouth. In 1572 Francis Drake, in his early thirties, attacked the Isthmus of Panama, where most peruvian goods were shipped from the New World to Spain. His circumnavigation is his most notable accomplishment, despite his fleet of originally six shrinking to one by the time the men had rounded Cape Horn. Upon his arrival home, Francis Drake was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I. Both serving as Vice Admiral of the British Navy and holding a seat in parliament for a time, Drake played an important role in England's government. He later died at the age of 55 in 1596 in Panama of Dysentery. 3. Areas of Exploration – In circumnavigating, Drake saw many places, including the western coasts of both South and North America, as well as the Eastern coast of South America, and much of indonesia and its neighbors. More than discovery, he pioneered exploration. Magellan's men had already circumnavigated, but it was more experimental, and Drake payed more attention to trade, conquest, and local peoples. In his later journeys, he spent more time in the caribbean and central America. 4. Effect on Locals – Sir Francis Drake tended to be friendly (according to his own documents, however) toward natives, and cooperate with them. Despite the fact that this comes from his own journals, his conflicts were more with Spain than indigenous peoples, so it is plausible that he did in fact get along with locals. 5. Overall Historical Assessment – Sir Francis Drake had a largely positive historic role. England in particular, of course, was affected by his travels. Sir Francis Drake's fleet are also largely responsible for many of the early maps drafted by cartographers. However, like most people, Drake had his controversies, which included such things as slave trade, caribbean conflict, and the beheading of his second in command, Thomas Doughty. He was a successful captain and explorer, despite some controversy. (Named After Drake: Sir Francis Drake Channel, BVI; Drake's Passage, between Cape Horn and Antarctica.)