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How did Sir Francis Drake gain treasure from a Spanish silver mule train?
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Sir Francis Drake
Sir Francis Drake, oil on panel, after an engraving attributed to Jodocus Hondius, c. 1583; in the National Portrait Gallery, London.
Sir Francis Drake gained treasure from a Spanish silver mule train during his 1572 expedition to the West Indies and the Isthmus of Panama.
After an unsuccessful attempt to capture the town of Nombre de Dios, where he was wounded, Drake and his men successfully intercepted and attacked a silver-bearing mule train. This act of piracy provided a significant amount of plunder and served as the foundation of his personal fortune.1