Today in 1578 a ship called the Pelican sailed into the Pacific ocean on a trip that would ultimately lead to a circumnavigation of the globe. Already over a year into its journey, it still had 2 years left, and the entire country had given the crew up for dead, when they crept back into Plymouth Harbor in 1580. The ship was captained by Sir Francis Drake, and we now call it the Golden Hinde, and it was the first English ship to sail around the globe. Francis Drake assured his sovereign that he was, indeed, alive, and then he proceeded to wow her with the treasure that his boat was filled with. Sir Francis Drake would be one of the leading Captain’s of Elizabeth’s navy, and played a pivotal role in fighting the Spanish in 1588.
That’s your Tudor Minute for today. Remember you can dive deeper into life in 16th century England through the Renaissance English History Podcast at englandcast.com.
Suggested links:
Throwback Episode 31: Trade and Exploration in the 16th century
Episode 114: Richard Hakluyt – England’s first Travel Writer
Tony Riches talking about Francis Drake
From the shop:
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Heather Teysko is the creator, writer, and producer of The Renaissance English History Podcast, one of the longest running indie history podcasts, going since 2009. She's been writing about history online for over 25 years, since her first site on Colonial American history became number one in history on Yahoo in 1998. She writes books, created the original Tudor Planner (a yearly diary filled with Tudor history) and in 2019 created the world's first Tudorcon (you can "attend" online this year!). She has been passionate about Tudor England since she first read Alison Weir's The Six Wives of Henry VIII 20 years ago, and subsequently moved to London after college to spend her time immersed in Tudor history.