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In Search of a Kingdom Sir and His Perilous Journey Across the Globe

Interview with Laurence Bergreen || By Joanna Gillan UEEN Elizabeth’s JG: How did Francis Drake rise sea was brutal and navigation Qfavorite pirate, Sir from his humble beginnings as was primitive. Nevertheless, Francis Drake, was a hot- the son of a farmer, and with Drake proved so successful that the master of the barque tempered, red-haired an early career in illicit slave- trading, to become an explorer, bequeathed his ship to the young rogue who plundered and sea captain, vice admiral, man. pillaged his way to the ends and the first Englishman to of the earth. His mastery For a time, Drake engaged in circumnavigate the globe? of the seas changed the local maritime commerce, but course of history—as a LB: Drake's origins and his early in his early 20's, about 1563, he pirate raiding Spanish career as a slave trader is a went to work for his cousin John galleons, as the first critical aspect of his life that Hawkins, who was one of the earliest slave traders in . explorer to successfully tends to be obscured amid Drake met with only mixed circumnavigate the globe, the celebration of his later accomplishments. He was born success in this venture. A few and as a naval hero who around 1540 AD in years later, in 1568, defeated the Spanish Devon, a beautiful Drake while he was on a Armada and reshaped the but impoverished witnessed slaving voyage in the global order. part of England. He Gulf of off San enough of Juan de Ulúa, In his grand and vivid was the oldest of 12 Spanish cruelty launched a savage narrative, In Search of children. His father was a farmer, and, attack on the hapless a Kingdom, Laurence at that time that most important for his English ships. Drake Bergreen —the acclaimed he conceived a eldest son, Protestant. and his cousin John biographer of explorers Fleeing religious lifelong hatred Hawkins were among Magellan, Columbus, and persecution, the Drake of Spain the few to survive the Marco Polo—illuminates family fled to Kent, melee. the extraordinary life and and his father became Drake witnessed adventures of Sir Francis a minister. Soon after, Drake was enough of Spanish cruelty at Drake. apprenticed to a local shipmaster that time that he conceived who owned a barque. From then a lifelong hatred of Spain and on, Drake was destined for a dedicated the rest of his career career at sea which was, at the to defending English interests time, extremely hazardous. The against Spain in the Caribbean

Engraving showing the route of the of the globe by Francis Drake and Thomas Cavendish from the 1595 Vera Totius Expeditionis Nauticae by the Flemish engraver and Public domain cartographer Jodocus Hondius and later around the globe. He time, and his pickup crew were told Portrait of stopped slaving and instead made they were undertaking a relatively of England, the Armada Portrait a career for himself as an aspiring brief voyage to the coast of Brazil / Public domain pirate attacking Spanish supplies and back to England. This way he of gold across Central and South was able to attract more sailors America. At the time, Spain was the and to minimize the possibility of largest empire in the West, too big to . Had they known that Drake police its wealth. Therefore, Drake's was planning to circumnavigate the raids along the east and west coast of South America were relatively globe, an almost sure-fire recipe bloodless. He relied more on guile for disaster, they would not have and nerve than on force. When gone. In fact, it’s not clear that he captured Spanish sailors, he when Drake set out that he was displayed a certain gallantry toward committed to circling the globe. If them. His success in these exploits conditions were too dangerous, he made him notorious in Spain, where would have headed back. Unlike he acquired the nickname El Draque, Magellan, who believed he had the dragon. been sent on a mission His success in stealing He acquired from God and was Spanish gold, , and the nickname something of a fanatic gems brought him to El Draque, the about the matter, Drake the attention of Queen dragon. was far more practical. Elizabeth, then in the Another difference early years of her reign was that he was not and in desperate concerned about need of converting the funding for her indigenous people impoverished he encountered kingdom. Drake to Christianity. He was the answer Drake’s uncanny ability only wanted to to her prayers. nab Spanish gold to steal gold from Spain With her covert and bring it to England backing, he and silver and to completed the re-establish trade was the quick fix that first successful with the Spice Queen Elizabeth needed Islands. His goals to keep her poor, were commercial (his predecessor, isolated kingdom going Ferdinand rather than Portrait of Sir Francis Drake by Magellan, had Jodocus Hondius / Public domain religious. died in the attempt more By the time the Elizabeth for Drake to succeed? And than 60 years earlier), laid the basis crew realized his true intentions, why did she keep her support of for the British Empire, and went on it was too late to turn back. Drake Drake a secret? enticed them with the possibility of to play a leading role in the Battle of LB: At the time, England was the in 1588. sharing the wealth they acquired on the voyage. In the end, they were almost bankrupt, and Queen Why did Drake hide his true gone for three years rather than the Elizabeth was in desperate need of intentions to circumnavigate the months the men expected, but unlike funds to maintain herself on the globe from his crew? Magellan’s voyage, nearly all of throne. Catholic countries were Drake’s crew survived their voyage. far wealthier, especially Spain and LB: There was practically no France. So Drake’s uncanny ability professional navy in England at the Why was it so important to Queen to steal gold from Spain and bring

Cartography of the Drake Voyage circa 1581 by Nicola van Sype Archivist Stock / Adobe

Golden Hind ship

it to England was the quick fix that Queen Elizabeth needed to keep her poor, isolated kingdom going. Other pirates tried to do the same thing, but Drake was by far the most daring and skilful. Without this gold, it is possible that Spain would have made good on its repeated threats to invade England, annex it, and make it part of the Spanish empire. Keep in mind that England was half Catholic, so this was a real possibility. Elizabeth kept her support of Drake secret because she was afraid that if Spain, meaning King Philip, found out, he would launch an invasion of England to snuff out this nuisance

Elizabeth kept her support of Drake secret because she was afraid that if Spain, meaning King Philip, found out, he would launch an invasion of England to snuff out this nuisance called Public domain Drake. Cartography of the Drake Voyage circa 1581 by Nicola van Sype Drake ordered him tried and executed, which occurred on Port St. Julian on July 2, 1578, on the eastern coast of South America. (It was, coincidentally, the same location where Magellan had executed a Spanish officer suspected of treason more than 60 years earlier.) Drake could have faced severe consequences for his actions on his return to England, but Elizabeth Archivist / Adobe Stock was so pleased with the riches that Drake Spanish Armada 1 brought back with him that he never faced a Public domain called Drake. This way Drake could reckoning. pretend to be an independent pirate, when in fact he was carrying out What was the real England’s geopolitical aims. relationship between Drake and Queen What were the greatest dangers Elizabeth? 1 - Engraving of Sir Francis Drake Drake faced on his expedition to by P. Rothwell. circumnavigate the globe? It’s been speculated that the two 2 -Francis Drake knighted in of them had a torrid affair, but Deptford by Queen Elizabeth LB: The greatest danger Drake there’s no evidence to support I.. Date: 4th April 1581/ faced was the unknown – unknown that. Elizabeth’s intimates were 3 -1591 portrait of Sir Francis Drake weather conditions, hostile drawn from the highest levels of by Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger indigenous people, or disease. Drake the English aristocracy, to which was adept at coping with the hazards Drake did not belong. However, receive public recognition for his he knew, but because of this fear they clearly had very good rapport achievement, when it was published of the unknown, he was in his bold and established a good working in a revised edition of Hakluyt’s way rather cautious. During raids, relationship. Nevertheless, Drake Voyages. (Drake had been excluded for example, he rarely went ashore, was always fearful of his sovereign, from the first edition.) Part of the preferring to remain on his ship. who had the power of life and death reason for the delay was Elizabeth’s over him. In the end, she treated What was the most treacherous fear that the news would provoke him well. She knighted him after the moment on this mission? Spain, a much more powerful circumnavigation and gave him a country, into attacking. Drake LB: The most treacherous moment magnificent house, Buckland Abbey, was her hidden weapon, and she of his circumnavigation was of his where he lived in his later years. own making. Drake suspected one wanted to keep his achievement of the senior members of the crew, What were the reactions to Drake’s under wraps. Over time, the Sir Thomas Doughty, who belonged successful circumnavigation? popular myth of Drake took hold in to a social rank high above Drake’s, England, and he became celebrated Elizabeth was of course thrilled and as a fearless conqueror, but in his of being a witch and trying to take relieved that Drake had fulfilled his over the mission. Suspicion of day, he was considered a pirate, mission and done his part to save nothing more or less. witchcraft in both men and women her reign from squalor. Yet there was common in Drake’s era, and he were so many rivals for her favor was so paranoid about Doughty that that it took him a full decade to 2 3

Public domain

Archivist / Adobe Stock

The bestselling author of Over the Edge of the World brings alive the extraordinary life and adventures of Sir Francis Drake, whose mastery of the seas during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I changed the course of history—as a pirate raiding Spanish galleons, as the first explorer to successfully circumnavigate the globe, and as a naval hero who defeated the Spanish Armada and reshaped the global order. Framed around Francis Drake’s key as a way to illuminate this crucial moment in British history, In Search of a Kingdom is a rousing adventure narrative mingling wide- ranging historical themes with intimate passions. 17