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Sir Francis Drake - Privateer
Sir Francis Drake was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I in recognition for his
effective pursuit and capture of Spanish galleons laden with treasures as much as for his remarkable feat of being the second man to circumnavigate the globe. Under the Queen of England’s direction, Drake was a privateer who was so feared by the Spanish that they called him *El Draque* - The Dragon. In his lifetime he lead several expeditions against the Spanish Main , and as well attacked the Spanish City of Cadiz. When the Spanish then sailed to England in retaliation, they surrendered upon learning that the leader of the ships they were to fight was *El Draque*.
No other Englishman played a more important role in English history
than Francis Drake, who assisted in establishing England as a maritime power following many years of Spanish domination of the seas. Drake’s visit along the California coast followed successful attacks on Spanish ships in the Caribbean and on Spanish gold and silver mines in Central America, which made him a very wealthy man. But these actions were not merely romantic escapades as often portrayed in history.
Drake was bent on revenge against the Spanish for an earlier attack on
an English fleet that left only two ships intact during a voyage to the Caribbean, and it was that ruthless Spanish attack, and merciless treatment of prisoners, that forever turned Drake into their most feared enemy. But we must remember, the reason the English ships were even in the Caribbean, the New World, and looking for a route to Asia, was to bring down the Spanish royalties power by capturing a share of the profitable trade with the New World. The life of a privateer was essentially that of a pirate financed by a royal family, and depending on which country you belong to, was seen as either a romantic hero, or a ruthless mercenary - hence Drake was Sir Francis to the English, and The Dragon to the Spanish.
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