Sir Francis Drake Statue by stevezero
The Hoe is the site of a statue commemorating Sir Francis Drake, one of England's greatest seafarers. He helped to see off the Spanish Armada in 1588, and, according to legend, he even had time to play bowls on Plymouth Hoe while preparing for battle.Because of his success as a privateer (pirate), in 1577 Francis Drake was chosen by Queen Elizabeth I of England to command a voyage designed to weaken the Spanish grip on the seas. Drake's command ship, Golden Hind (at first named Pelican) circumnavigated the globe, looting Spanish ships in the New World along the way. He made a landing in 1579 somewhere on the Pacific coast of North America and returned to England in 1580 to be knighted by the Queen. His successful voyage and subsequent naval career helped the English dominate the Spanish in the race for colonization and trade.
The plaque on his statue reads ~ Francis Drake sailed from Plymouth on December 13, 1577, to begin the "famous voyage" during which he traversed the Strait of Magellan and discovered Drake Passage south of Cape Horn. Drake then sailed the Golden Hinde north and in June 1579 landed in California; he took possession of that region for Queen Elizabeth naming it Nova Albion. He returned to Plymouth September 26, 1580, having circumnavigated the globe. Drake was knighted aboard the Golden Hinde at Deptford in the presence of Queen Elizabeth on April 4, 1581. This plaque was presented August 5, 1977, by the State of California Sir Francis Drake Commission in commemoration of the Quadricentennial of Drake's voyage around the world. ~