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The Elizabethan age: exploration and Sir Francis Drake

Study note

The reign of Elizabeth I, often called the Elizabethan age, was a time of growing pride and confidence in England. It was also a great age of exploration. English sailors set out to find new trade routes across the seas and boldly challenged the power of Spain in the Americas.

The outstanding figure of this seafaring age was Sir Francis Drake. He was one of the commanders who helped defeat the Spanish Armada in 1588, and he is regarded as a founder of England's proud naval tradition. His ship, the Golden Hind, became famous as one of the first vessels to sail all the way around the world.

This was also the time when English settlement of the wider world began. During Elizabeth I's reign, English settlers first started to colonise the eastern coast of America, the beginning of a much larger story of empire. For the test, link Sir Francis Drake with the Armada and with his ship the Golden Hind sailing around the world.

Memory tip: Elizabethan exploration: Sir Francis Drake and the Golden Hind circumnavigate the world.

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Question 1 of 3

Which Elizabethan sailor helped defeat the Spanish Armada and sailed around the world?

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Show all questions and answers for The Elizabethan age: exploration and Sir Francis Drake(3 questions with explanations)

The Elizabethan age: exploration and Sir Francis Drake: questions, answers and explanations

  1. 1. Which Elizabethan sailor helped defeat the Spanish Armada and sailed around the world?

    • Admiral Nelson
    • Captain Cook
    • Sir Francis Drake
    • Sir Walter Raleigh

    Correct answer: Sir Francis Drake

    Sir Francis Drake helped defeat the Armada and circumnavigated the world.

  2. 2. What was the name of Sir Francis Drake's ship that sailed around the world?

    • The Victory
    • The Golden Hind
    • The Beagle
    • The Mayflower

    Correct answer: The Golden Hind

    Drake's ship was the Golden Hind, one of the first to circumnavigate the world.

  3. 3. During Elizabeth I's reign, English settlers first began to colonise the eastern coast of America.

    • True
    • False

    Correct answer: True

    True. English settlers first began to settle the eastern coast of America in Elizabeth I's time.

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