Sir Francis Drake - Explorer, Age of Exploration for Kids (original) (raw)
Francis Drake was the first English explorer to sail around the world. His ship was originally called the Pelican, but was renamed Golden Hind, sometimes spelled the Golden Hinde.
Drake was basically a pirate. He stole gold and silver and cargo from other ships! He loaded his own ship with so much cargo, some from trading, some from theft, that he was a bit concerned his own ship might sink! He pushed on anyway, and sailed successfully round the world.
Drake returned to England with an enormous amount of treasure, mostly stolen from Spanish explorers and Spanish ports in the Americas. This delighted the Queen of England when she heard about it, as England and Spain were enemies at the time.
The Queen was so pleased, in fact, that she knighted Francis Drake. Forever after, Francis Drake became Sir Francis Drake.