Explorers - Francis Drake, John Hawkins and Walter Raleigh
Who were the adventurers?
There were several men who tried their luck at sea-voyages. It was a dangerous business, but the potential rewards were huge, so it attracted men from all walks of life. Some of the most notable included:
Francis Drake was the most famous seaman of Elizabeth reign. He is a controversial figure - some see him as a national hero, others as little more than a pirate. His main achievements were:
- Being the first Englishman to sail around the world, To travel all the way around the circumference, of the world. the globe between 1577 and 1580.
- Helping defeat the Spanish Armada by attacking Cadiz in 1587 and delaying preparations. He was also vice-admiral during the Armada. He was proud of his impact during the Armada and boasted about it by saying he 鈥榮inged the King of Spain鈥檚 beard鈥.
- Launching successful attacks on the Spanish empire, bringing back gold, silver and jewels, making a huge profit.
- Making valuable trading contacts with the Maluku Islands in Indonesia, who were known for being the largest producers of mace, nutmeg, cloves and pepper in the world..
John Hawkins was Francis Drake's cousin. He was a navigator and a trader in enslaved people and made three voyages during the 1560s, capturing Africans and selling them into slavery to Spanish settlers in Central America.
However, his main achievements were after he returned to England, where he designed and built ships for the navy.
- He developed a new type of fighting galleon which was faster, lighter and better able to withstand harsh weather conditions than ships in the Spanish fleet.
- His innovative designs were important in helping to defeat the Spanish Armada.
Walter Raleigh was a famous sailor, explorer and courtier. The queen invested in his privateering expeditions against the Spanish. He wanted to establish Land or settlement outside a country's borders which belongs to it. Colonies were usually conquered or seized. for Elizabeth in North America. The area was thought to have an inexhaustible supply of wine, oil, sugar and flax and would reduce England鈥檚 trading dependence upon Europe.