Was it a Voyage of Discovery?

It is difficult for us to imagine not knowing what the world looks like but in 1577 many areas of the globe lay undiscovered. Few Europeans had sailed across the Atlantic or Pacific Oceans and only one attempt had been made to sail around the world. This had been led by Ferdinand Magellan who set off from Spain 1519. The voyage was very dangerous. Only eighteen sailors out of two hundred and sixty returned and Magellan himself did not survive. Stories of the journey were so bad that no-one else even tried for nearly sixty years. This changed in 1580 when Francis Drake sailed up the River Thames becoming the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe. To many, Drake was a hero. Not only had he sailed round the world but he had discovered new lands and brought back a huge amount of treasure. The Queen was delighted and knighted him for his efforts.

Was Drake really a hero? You can decide by studying the sources below. Don’t forget that you can use the worksheet to record your answers.

Let’s investigate!