Sir Drancis Drake

A Biography of Me: Sir Francis Drake
The Second Explorer to Circumnavigate (Sail Around) the World

I was born around 1540, but the exact year is not certain. I was the oldest of twelve brothers. I lived in a cottage made out of rough tree branches on the estate (property) of a nobleman in a city called Tavistock, which was twenty miles north of an English seaport called Plymouth. Here is a picture (by Job Nixon) of Plymouth Harbor as it looked back when I lived nearby.

My father, Edmund, had been a sailor before I was born. But after I was born, he changed jobs and became a farmer. My grandparents lived on about 180 acres of good farmland and they, also, were farmers.

When I was still a young boy, my family left Tavistock and moved to another city called Kent. We now lived even closer to the ocean. At one time we even lived in the remains of an old ship! At times my father, Edmund, made a living as a preacher (minister) to the sailors who lived in the area. As I grew up, I was close to the sea, ships, and sailors, so I could start learning from people who had actually been to sea.

Answer these questions in complete sentences, except for the definition.

A. Find a compound sentence in the paragraphs above. Copy it down.

B. Why do you think being the oldest of twelve brothers might have helped me (Francis) become a strong person?

C. Tell two facts from my (Drake's) early life that you think helped me decide to go to sea.

D. About how long ago was I (Drake) born? (Hint: 2009 - 1540 = Y)

Becoming a Seaman and a Captain

In the 1550's, while still a young boy, I first went to sea. I became an apprentice (student) of the captain of a small freighter.
Although this ship only sailed along the coast of England, I learned many skills about the sea. In fact, the captain willed (gave) his little ship to me, after he died. This was the beginning of my seafaring career.

Over time, I became an excellent seaman. Another English sailor named John Hawkins also helped me learn new skills. Then, when I was only twenty-four years old, I was appointed to be the captain of an English galleon ship. Look at this statue of me,
after I was grown up.

After 1570, England began to fight with Spain. Spain was a great sea power, and our country's leader, Queen Elizabeth I, wanted England to be a great sea power too. Queen Elizabeth asked me to sail across the Atlantic Ocean and search for the Strait of Anian (a shortcut through North America.)

She also wanted me to seek the same treasures (especially gold) that Spanish sailors had found in New Spain. The queen decided to send me and my fleet of ships to attack Spanish galleons, and to bring the treasures back to England.

Answer these questions in complete sentences, except for the definition.

A. Here are the Dixie Lifeskills. Name two lifeskills that you think I (Francis Drake) used. Tell how you think I (he) used
these skills.

B. I (Drake) worked on board a freigher, which carries freight. Look up the word "freight" in Word Central. Write down the definition, as used in this biography.

C. Write two sentences, in your own words, that SUMMARIZE what Queen Elizabeth I wanted.

So, we set sail. My ship was called the Golden Hind. As captain, I tried to be a good leader. So, I made sure that my ship had plenty of supplies. Also, I brought musicians and instruments onto the ship. The sounds of music made my crew comfortable.

While at sea, there were storms and other misfortunes. But I was able to handle all of these. My ship, the Golden Hind, made it across the Atlantic Ocean to the west coast of South America. While going north up the coast, my crew and I raided several Spanish towns and galleon ships. Although these people had more weapons, we surprised them and won. They did not expect to see an English ship so far away from Europe.

I took on board much Spanish treasure. But my ship was in need of repair, and the Spanish were chasing us in their ships. I did not think I could get back across the Atlantic Ocean safely, so I headed north into unknown waters. I anchored my ship in a bay and went ashore. I named this land Nova Albion (New England.) My crew and I stayed here for a month, and repaired our ship. (Note: This place is now called Drake's Bay.)

While on shore, we met some new people (the Coast Miwok Indians.) Their culture was very different than ours, but they were quite friendly to us. I told my crew to treat these people well. We gave gifts to one another. And, for six weeks all was well. Even when an Indian snatched a hat from my head, I did not punish him. I had heard that another English sea captain treated Indian people very poorly, but I did not.

Next, we set sail for England. But instead of heading East, we headed West, across the Pacific Ocean. When the Golden Hind reached England, we had sailed all the way around the world. I was only the second sea captain to ever do this. You can see all of my routes on the map below.

I delivered all of the treasure to Queen Elizabeth. This helped her make the English navy stronger. The queen was very pleased with me and made me a knight. Forever after, I would be known as Sir Francis Drake.

Answer these questions in complete sentences.

A. Tell two ways that I (Francis) tried to be a good and fair leader.

B. What other questions do you have about me, Sir Francis Drake? Write down TWO of them.