Ship Captain with Blood in His Eye

I am doing American History this year for school, and have found a new hero.

Francis Drake

In the 16th century, the Spanish King Phillip II, a fanatical Catholic, wanted to kill all of the Protestants. His army was huge and rich, and slaughtered thousands of Protestants in Europe.

During this time, there were several Spanish outposts in the New World, where they were getting a fat profit of Mexican gold and Peruvian silver. Which provided for the Spanish army.

Francis Drake, an English sea captain, got together with his cousin, Sir John Hawkins, and became the most famous pair in a daring class of mariners under Queen Elizabeth I. They were called the Sea Dogs. They attacked and looted the Spanish outposts. When they returned to England, Queen Elizabeth came on his ship, the Golden Hind, and knighted Drake.

Quote from my history book:

There was much more to Drake's daring raids than simply fame and fortune--he sailed with blood in his eye against the Catholic threat. Drake's father, a tenant farmer, was a fervent Protestant lay preacher who had a great influence in shaping his son's character and convictions.

When Drake was a boy, he and his family were forced to flee their home during a Catholic uprising. In order to escape, the family lived in the rotting hulk of a ship on the bank of the Thames.

Ironically, the boy whom the Catholics forced to live in dire poverty in the hulk of a ship would one day take a ship and greatly enrich himself at the expense of Catholic Spain.

BURN for the Spanish there. I love that "blood in his eye". Isn't this inspiring? It's amazing how many awesome stories there are in history. Someone should take this and write a book. Maybe someone has. :-)