Sir Francis Drake on the Spanish Main - 1585-86 - Raid 17

Synopsis

In 1585, war between Spain and Elizabethan England was all but inevitable. Queen Elizabeth's spymaster Sir Francis Walsingham proposed a pre-emptive strike designed to paralyze Spain's economy by striking at the Spanish Main - the heart of her overseas empire. The expedition gathered at Plymouth with Sir Francis Drake in command of 21 ships and 1,800 soldiers, before setting off on its long voyage. Drake struck first at the Canary Islands, before heading for Santo Domingo, the capital of Hispaniola and the oldest Spanish city in the New World. Having held the city to ransom, Drake sailed on to his next target - the treasure port of Cartagena, where emeralds and gold were gathered before being shipped to Spain. Heavily outnumbered, Drake and his men stormed and captured the city before plundering it and holding it to ransom. His ships full of Spanish treasure, Drake then turned towards home, returning to a hero's welcome, with his daring raids having provided the spark that finally ignited the war between England and Spain.