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Sir Francis Drake : Pirate Or Patriot?

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Sir Francis Drake: Pirate or Patriot? You may have heard of Robin Hood, but few have heard of Sir Francis Drake; an enemy to some, but a hero to others. He was an English Admiral and explorer, the first Englishman to circumnavigate the world on 26th September, 1580. Some say he was a pPirate, others say he was a Ppatriot. The English believed him to be a Patriot because of the wealth he brought them and had achieved the highest rank in the Navy; however, the Spanish believed he was a pirate and hated him because he would attack their vessels, take their treasure, and raid their ports. “Sir Francis Drake was a man who was feared by all countries who sailed under the Roman Catholic Church’s flag. He was hated by some for his piracy and rude, abrupt behavior. He was not a gentleman by British standards, but he was a fair and generous Captain known to let his captured prisoners go free. In some cases even the captured crew and their ships would be let go. He is not totally a just man, he was known to buy favors, and in one case even killed a man because of their disagreement in the Pacific Ocean” (The Life and Accomplishments). The world remains unable to agree on whether he was a patriot or a pirate, but I believe he was a pirate. There are many reasons to believe he was a patriot but there are also many reasons to believe he was a pirate. Sir Francis Drake was the oldest of his eleven younger siblings. His father was a preacher and raised his children as Protestants. Drake

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