Drake Sails from Plymouth: Secret Mission to the Pacific
Drake left Plymouth with five ships and 164 men on what Elizabeth called a trading voyage. She lied. Her real orders: raid Spanish colonies along the Pacific coast and claim new lands for England. Spain controlled that ocean completely—no English ship had ever entered it. Drake's crew didn't know the true mission. Neither did Spain, which made peace with England that same year. By the time Spanish authorities realized an English pirate was loose in their private sea, Drake had already captured a treasure ship carrying 80 pounds of gold and 26 tons of silver. Only one of his five ships made it home. But that one carried enough stolen wealth to fund the English treasury for seven years.
December 17, 1577
449 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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