The career of the privateer Sir Francis Drake shows that
Choose 1 answer:
A. England’s strong navy led to its prominence as the first major colonial power in the New World.
B. During the early Age of Exploration, England preferred to reap the rewards of the New World through piracy rather than by starting a colony of its own.
C. The English crown tended to value the accomplishments of its army more than the accomplishments of its navy.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
The correct answer is:
B. During the early Age of Exploration, England preferred to reap the rewards of the New World through piracy rather than by starting a colony of its own.
Explanation:
Sir Francis Drake’s career exemplifies England’s early approach to the New World, where piracy and privateering were seen as more practical and profitable than establishing colonies. During the 16th century, England was not yet a major colonial power. Spain and Portugal had already established strongholds in the New World, reaping wealth through colonies, trade, and mining, particularly in silver. Rather than attempting to directly compete through colonization, England leveraged privateers like Drake, who, under a legal commission from the English crown, could raid enemy ships and settlements. This strategy allowed England to participate in the wealth generated by New World exploration without the expense and risk of colonization.
Drake’s expeditions targeted Spanish ships and ports, returning vast amounts of plundered gold, silver, and other valuables to England. His most famous achievement, the circumnavigation of the globe from 1577 to 1580, included many such attacks on Spanish holdings. These raids weakened Spain’s control over its colonies and showed the English crown that privateering was a relatively low-cost method to disrupt and benefit from Spain’s New World monopoly.
While England did later turn to colonization, establishing its first permanent colony at Jamestown in 1607, Drake’s career underscores an earlier phase when piracy was England’s primary way of challenging Spain’s dominance. This approach reflected a pragmatic, opportunistic strategy where England capitalized on Spanish wealth without bearing the burdens of colonial administration, setting the stage for its future colonial ambitions.