This Jackdaw recounts Drake’s life from his youth sailing on Henry VIII’s ships, through his flamboyant naval career to his death from dysentery in 1596. Hands-on documents bring Drake’s voyages alive — plans of galleons, nautical charts and routes of the “sea dogs,” and a replica of Drake’s 1579 brass plate found, amazingly, in San Francisco in the 1930s. Then there’s all about life aboard the Golden Hinde, and the fears and superstitions of 16th-century seamen. The defeat of the Spanish Armada is shown on a full-color poster. Finally, learn about building and sailing a modern-day Golden Hinde. Historian: Robert Lacey. The contents of this Jackdaw feature:
Historical Documents-
Sir Francis Drake — the man.
- Drake’s men o’war: how the galleons were built.
- The Golden Hinde reborn.
- The World as it was imagined before Drake sailed around it.
- Perils of the deep: the sea-monsters Drake’s seamen feared.
- Life on board.
- Plan for Drake’s voyage of 1577 and part of the treasure list on return in 1580.
- Drake’s circumnavigation depicted on a contemporary map.
- Francis Drake, empire builder: Drake’s plate of brass.
- “The Master Thief of the Unknown World.” Drake’s backers and colleagues, and a modern map comparing his voyage to those of Magellan and Cavendish.
- “Singeing the King of Spain’s beard.” Chart Drake used when he raided Cadiz in 1587, pictures of the Spanish Armada.
Study Guide / Lesson Plans – Reproducible Activities