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How far north did Sir Francis Drake claim to sail along the western coast of North America?
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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 claimed to have sailed as far north as 48° N along the western coast of North America, a latitude parallel to Vancouver, Canada. He reached this point while searching for the Northwest Passage to return to the Atlantic Ocean. However, he was forced to turn back due to bitterly cold weather and subsequently anchored near present-day San Francisco, where he claimed the surrounding territory for Queen Elizabeth I and named it New Albion.1