Page 28 - Pilgrims in Georgia

Sir Francis Drake

While the religious climate was changing in England under Queen Elizabeth, the friction between Protestant England and
Catholic Spain continued to grow, helped along by Elizabeth’s privateer (legal pirate) Sir Francis Drake. Beginning In the
1570’s he raided and plundered the Spanish ports in the New World and their ships in the Atlantic, Caribbean, and Pacific
oceans causing great loss to the Spanish. As a result of one of his expeditions from 1577 to 1580 he circumnavigated the

World in his Ship the Golden Hind and becoming the first Englishman to do so. For this Elizabeth Knighted him. On another
foray during the Anglo-Spanish War in 1586, he captured and burned St. Augustine to the ground. King Philip II allegedly
offered a reward for his capture or death of 20,000 ducats, about $8 million American dollars in todays value. They would
refer to him as “El Draque” and “Franciscus Draco”, “Francis the Dragon.” When England learned of a pending attack from
Spain, he was sent to attack Spain directly and in 1587 he attacked two of Spain's main ports, where he destroyed 37 naval
and merchant ships. However, he would help turn the entire tide of history when the Spanish attacked England with their
“Invincible Armada” next in 1588.

Queen Elizabeth Knights Drake Modern day replica of the Golden Hind