Sir Francis Drake
Looking Beyond the Horizon
Born in 1540, Sir Francis Drake went to sea at about age 12. After Spaniards attacked an English trading fleet, including his ship, at San Juan de Ullua in Mexico, Drake began raiding Spanish ships and coasts. In a quarter-century career, Drake attacked Panama, the west coast of South America, the Caribbean, and the coast of Spain. He was second in command of the English fleet during the Spanish Armada Campaign. Drake was knighted in 1581 for his voyage of circumnavigation and died at sea on January 27, 1596.
HER MAJESTY'S FLEET
Queen Elizabeth challenged the world dominance of Spain's King Philip II in the late 16th century. Excluded from New World trades by the Spaniards, the Queen's mariners enriched their country and themselves in state-sanctioned raiding efforts. Drake was an instrumental figure in this campaign.
VOYAGE 'ROUND THE WORLD
In 1578, Drake sailed into the Pacific to raid the west coast of South America. The flagship was the Golden Hind, a small war galleon owned by Drake. He captured a treasure ship off Ecuador and then sought the Northwest Passage.
Finding no strait in Oregon, he turned south and landed at Drakes Bay to prepare to cross the Pacific and to claim the land for England. In September 1580, Drake and his remaining crew members returned to England
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Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Exploration • Wars, Non-US. A significant historical date for this entry is January 27, 1596.
Location. 37° 56.683′ N, 122° 30.527′ W. Marker is in Larkspur, California, in Marin County. Marker can be reached from Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 101 Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, Larkspur CA 94939, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Golden Gate Ferry (here, next to this marker); The Golden Hind (here, next to this marker); Green Brae Brick Kiln (approx. 0.2 miles away); Greenbrae Brickyard Superintendent's Cottage (approx. 0.2 miles away); Richmond-San Rafael Bridge (approx. 1.6 miles away); Mission San Rafael Arcangel (approx. 2.3 miles away); Marin (approx. 2.3 miles away); a different marker also named Mission San Rafael Arcangel (approx. 2.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Larkspur.
More about this marker. The marker is mounted to the outside wall of the Larkspur Ferry Terminal.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 23, 2020. It was originally submitted on July 23, 2020, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 190 times since then and 27 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 23, 2020, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.
