Francis Drake was an English navigator and Pirate whose name resonates as a legend of the seas. Born around 1540 in Tavistock, Devon, he discovered maritime life at an early age and, by 18, was already serving on merchant ships trading with the Spanish colonies of South America. A daring sailor, he quickly distinguished himself by his courage. At 23, he crossed the Atlantic with his cousin John Hawkins and took part in the triangular trade. In 1568, trapped by the Spanish fleet in the port of San Juan de Ulúa, he narrowly escaped disaster. Humiliated, he swore revenge on Spain, a vow that would shape his entire career.
In 1570 and 1571, he returned to the Caribbean for discreet expeditions. Then, in 1572, he launched his first independent venture toward the Isthmus of Panama, where gold and silver from Peru were transported. With 73 men and the help of runaway Panamanian slaves, he struck Nombre de Dios and seized a fabulous treasure. The following year, he allied with the Frenchman Guillaume Le Testu and intercepted a mule convoy loaded with twenty tons of riches. Part of the treasure, too heavy to carry, was buried, fueling the legend of hidden treasures. Le Testu was captured and executed; Drake, however, led his men through the jungle before reaching his flagship by raft, triumphantly declaring: “Our voyage is successful, mates!”
In December 1577, Elizabeth I entrusted him with a secret mission. Officially intended for exploration, it was in fact aimed at weakening Spain under Philip II. With five ships, including the Pelican, soon renamed Golden Hind, he crossed the formidable Strait of Magellan. Storms and mutinies nearly ruined the voyage, but he reached the Pacific, considered unreachable for the English. There, he plundered ports and ships while mapping new coasts. Three years later, he became the first English captain to circumnavigate the globe.
On his return, he continued to serve the Crown and played a decisive role in the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588. In 1596, he died off the coast of Puerto Rico during an expedition against the Spanish. Inhumed at sea, Francis Drake left an ambivalent legacy: a Pirate to some, a national hero to others, but above all an extraordinary adventurer, who rose from merchant sailor to corsair crowned with glory.
Cultural Legacy
The figure of Francis Drake goes beyond history to nourish popular culture.
In film and television, he has been portrayed since 1913 (Drake’s Love Story) and has regularly returned to the screen, from Sir Francis Drake, the Queen’s Corsair (1961) to The Admiral Drake (1980), including documentaries such as Francis Drake, the Queen’s Pirate (2015). His fictional legacy was revived with the film Uncharted (2022), adapted from the video game series.
In literature, he has inspired poets and novelists: Robert E. Howard (The One Black Stain), Ken Follett (A Column of Fire), Frank G. Slaughter (Surgeon of the Seas), Jean-Laurent Del Socorro (Peines de mots perdus). He also appears in the comic Cori the Cabin Boy, in One Piece, in Scrooge McDuck stories, and in Derek Walcott’s poem Ruins of a Great House. Older works such as Westward Ho! or Rewards and Fairies also carry on his legend.
In video games, his influence is strong. The Uncharted series imagines a fictional descendant in Nathan Drake, Age of Empires III presents him as an explorer, and he appears in Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, Pikmin 3 (with the spaceship S.S. Drake), Fate/Extra, and Crimson Skies.
In modern popular culture, he is even found in humorous and educational productions such as Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventures or Horrible Histories.
Finally, his name endures in monuments and places: replicas of the Golden Hind, statues, British naval bases, as well as Drakes Bay and other Californian toponyms.
