Explorers - Francis Drake, John Hawkins and Walter Raleigh
Advancements in the practical skills of navigation allowed explorers to thrive during the Elizabethan era. The main benefit of exploration around this time was to open up trade routes with countries around the world. There were a number of famed explorers who led these voyages.
Sir Francis Drake
Sir Francis Drake was the most famous seaman of Elizabeth's reign. His career has been interpreted in different ways, ranging from national hero to villain. He grew up as a Strict Protestants who wanted to get rid of ritual in church services and lead a plain and simple life. who hated Catholics and he was very anti-Spanish. His first voyage in 1566 was as a slave trader. He was attacked in 1568 by the Spanish at San Juan de Ulua in Mexico, losing four ships and over 300 men. He sought to take revenge on the Spanish after this.
Notable expeditions
Drake was 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. He went on to play a role in the Spanish Armada by attacking Cadiz in 1587 and delaying preparations. He was also vice-admiral during the Armada.
Impact
- Launched successful attacks on the Spanish empire, bringing back gold, silver and jewels, making a huge profit.
- Claimed new lands for England and made valuable trading contacts with the Spice Islands.
- Knighted by Elizabeth and made an admiral.
John Hawkins
He was a navigator and slave trader who was Sir Francis Drake鈥檚 cousin.
Notable expeditions
He made three voyages during the 1560s, capturing Africans and selling them into slavery in Central America to Spanish settlers.
After this he returned to England and designed and built ships for the navy. Elizabeth appointed him as a vice-admiral fighting against the Spanish Armada.
Impact
- 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 lead England to victory.
Walter Raleigh
He 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.
Notable expeditions
In 1584 he obtained a royal charter to establish a colony on Roanoke Island off the coast of North Carolina. He organised two expeditions to take settlers to the colony. The first group came home after a year; the second were left there but later disappeared. There is no conclusive proof of what happened to the colonists - perhaps they were forced to leave, ran away or lacked food. The reasons for their disappearance are unclear and Roanoke is sometimes given the name 鈥楾he Lost Colony鈥.
Raleigh didn鈥檛 play a major part in the Armada campaign.
Impact
- Raleigh was imprisoned in the Tower of London in June 1592 for marrying one of Elizabeth鈥檚 ladies-in-waiting, He was released in August 1592 to lead a very successful naval attack against the Spanish. Following the attack, Raleigh was sent back to the Tower but was released the following year and became a Member of Parliament.
- Whilst imprisoned in the Tower, Raleigh wrote many poems and even wrote a history of the world.