Sir Francis Drake

Introduction & Top Questions
Early life
Voyages to the West Indies
Circumnavigation of the world
Mayor of Plymouth
Failure of the Spanish Armada
Last years

References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images & Videos

Portrait of Sir Francis Drake with a lace ruff collar, mustache, and short curly hair, painted in oil on panel. The background includes his name in gold lettering.

Sir Francis Drake: Admiral, pirate, and explorer

World map showing the routes of the first circumnavigations: Ferdinand Magellan and Juan Sebastian del Cano's expedition from 1519 to 1522 is traced in red, and Francis Drake's voyage from 1577 to 1580 is traced in purple. Both routes start in Europe, cross the Atlantic to South America, pass through the Strait of Magellan, and continue across the Pacific and Indian Oceans, with Drake's route paralleling much of Magellan's path before returning to Europe. Key locations and years are labeled alon

Painting of Queen Elizabeth I in an ornate gown knighting Sir Francis Drake with a sword as he kneels on a red carpet aboard the Golden Hind, surrounded by onlookers and ships.

Map showing the transatlantic and global routes of major early voyages of discovery and exploration by Spain, Portugal, England, and France during the 15th and 16th centuries. The map traces the journeys of explorers such as Columbus, Cabot, Magellan, da Gama, and others, with labeled paths crossing the Atlantic and encircling Africa and South America, as well as lines of demarcation dividing Spanish and Portuguese exploration zones.

Sir Francis Drake, oil painting by an unknown artist; in the National Portrait Gallery, London.

At a Glance

Sir Francis Drake summary

Quizzes

Vikings. Viking warriors hold swords and shields. 9th c. AD seafaring warriors raided the coasts of Europe, burning, plundering and killing. Marauders or pirates came from Scandinavia, now Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. European History

European History

Buzz Aldrin. Apollo 11. Apollo 11 astronaut Edwin Aldrin, photographed July 20, 1969, during the first manned mission to the Moon's surface. Reflected in Aldrin's faceplate is the Lunar Module and astronaut Neil Armstrong, who took the picture.

Exploration and Discovery

Undated portrait engraving of Amerigo Vespucci.

Explorers and Explorations (Part Two) Quiz

Old medieval wooden pirate military war ship with a cannon on the deck pointed out and aiming

Spot the Difference: Pirates, Privateers, Corsairs, and Buccaneers

Related Questions

How did English fire ships disrupt the Spanish Armada at Calais?
How did Sir Francis Drake attack Spanish shipping along the Pacific coast of South America?
How did Sir Francis Drake enter Cádiz harbour during the 1587 raid?
How did Sir Francis Drake gain treasure from a Spanish silver mule train?
How did Spanish writers portray Sir Francis Drake?
How did disease affect Sir Francis Drake’s final fleet in the Caribbean?
How did the Battle of San Juan de Ulúa affect Sir Francis Drake’s relationship with Spain?
How far north did Sir Francis Drake claim to sail along the western coast of North America?
How long did it take Sir Francis Drake to sail through the Strait of Magellan?
What danger did the Golden Hind face near the Moluccas?
What improvement to Plymouth’s water supply was organized by Sir Francis Drake?
What privateering commission did Sir Francis Drake receive in 1572?
What treasure ship did Sir Francis Drake capture after the raid on Cádiz?
When and where did Sir Francis Drake die?
When and where was Sir Francis Drake born?
When did Sir Francis Drake complete his circumnavigation of Earth?
Where did Sir Francis Drake first see the Pacific Ocean?
Which places did Sir Francis Drake attack during his 1585 expedition against Spanish possessions?
Which route did the Golden Hind take across the Indian Ocean to return to England?
Which ship did Sir Francis Drake command when he escaped from San Juan de Ulúa?
Which valuables did Sir Francis Drake capture from Spanish ships during his circumnavigation?
Why did Queen Elizabeth I support some of Sir Francis Drake’s expeditions?
Why did Sir Francis Drake name part of the Pacific coast New Albion?
Why did Sir Francis Drake take part in the Atlantic slave trade?
Why did Sir Francis Drake want to sail an English ship in the Pacific Ocean?
Why did Spain object to Sir Francis Drake’s circumnavigation voyage?
Why did the Spanish Armada fail to invade England in 1588?
Why was Sir Francis Drake buried at sea near Portobelo?
Why were barrel staves destroyed in Cádiz important to the Spanish Armada?
What is Sir Francis Drake famous for?
What were Sir Francis Drake’s other major achievements?
How did Sir Francis Drake die?
What is Pierre Trudeau known for?
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Who was Francisco Pizarro?
What motivated Francisco Pizarro and other Spanish conquistadors to pursue conquest in the Americas?
What is Francisco Pizarro best known for?
How did Francisco Pizarro die?

History Military Leaders

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External Websites

U.S. Naval Instiute - The Strategy and Tactics of Sir Francis Drake
Library of Congress - Digital Collections - Sir Francis Drake (1543-1596)
Western Oregon University - Sir Francis Drake in the New World 1577-1580 (PDF)
Potterï¿½s Wax Museum - Sir Francis Drake
The Mariners' Museum and Park - Francis Drake
Princeton University Library - Sir Francis Drake
National Park Service - Sir Francis Drake
World History Encyclopedia - Biography of Sir Francis Drake
National Humanities Center - The World Encompassed by Sir Francis Drake (PDF)
Dictionary of Canadian Biography - Sir Francis Drake

Britannica Websites

Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

Francis Drake - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
Francis Drake - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

Sir Francis Drake

English admiral

Written by

Felipe Fernández-Armesto

Member of the Faculty of Modern History, University of Oxford. Author of The Spanish Armada: The Experience of War in 1588 and others. General editor of The Times Atlas of World Exploration.

Felipe Fernández-ArmestoAll

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Britannica Editors

History

Sir Francis Drake (born c. 1540–43, Devonshire, England—died January 28, 1596, at sea, off Puerto Bello, Panama) was an English admiral who circumnavigated the globe (1577–80) and was the most renowned seaman of the Elizabethan Age. Born on the Crowndale estate of Lord Francis Russell, 2nd earl of Bedford, Drake’s father, Edmund Drake, was the son of one of the latter’s tenant farmers. Edmund fled his native county after arraignment for assault and robbery in...

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