Britannica Sources used in this answer

Why did Spain object to Sir Francis Drake’s circumnavigation voyage?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

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 Sir Francis Drake, oil on panel, after an engraving attributed to Jodocus Hondius, c. 1583; in the National Portrait Gallery, London.

Spain objected to Sir Francis Drake’s circumnavigation (1577–1580) primarily because he used the voyage to prey on Spanish ships and challenge Spain’s maritime dominance.1

The tension stemmed from a long-standing rivalry between England and Spain, exacerbated by English privateers who targeted Spanish vessels and colonial trade. Spain viewed these activities as acts of piracy, while Drake—who had previously suffered losses at the hands of the Spanish at San Juan de Ulúa—sought both revenge and financial gain against the empire of Philip II. By entering the Pacific, an area previously controlled exclusively by Spanish shipping, Drake directly violated Spain's claims to regulate its colonies and trade routes.23