So, I asked ChatGPT, the new AI phenom that some have suggested will replace all but the best writers among us, to produce “a biography of approximately 1000 words of Sir Francis Drake, without presentism.” This is what it came up with. Longstanding and attentive listeners will be able to assess it for themselves, but I think it is pretty good, apart from one glaring flaw, which I’ll mention below for those of you who are new to Drake’s story.
Sir Francis Drake was one of the most prominent explorers and naval commanders of the Elizabethan era, and his exploits played a significant role in shaping the course of British history. He was born in Tavistock, Devonshire, England, in around 1540, the eldest of twelve children of a farmer, and spent his early years helping his family with farm work.
At the age of about thirteen, Drake was apprenticed to a local ship owner, and he spent the next few years learning the ropes of sailing and navigation while working on voyages to France and the Low Countries. In 1560, he sailed with his cousin, John Hawkins, on a slave-trading expedition to the West African coast, where they were attacked and forced to flee by Portuguese ships.
Drake’s next voyage, in 1562, was to the Caribbean, where he became involved in privateering and began to build a reputation as a skilled navigator and fighter. Over the next few years, he made several successful raids on Spanish ships and settlements in the Americas, including the capture of Nombre de Dios in Panama in 1572.
In 1577, Drake embarked on his most famous expedition, a circumnavigation of the world that lasted three years. The voyage was financed by Queen Elizabeth I and aimed to explore new trade routes and establish British interests in the Pacific. Drake’s ship, the Golden Hind, became the first English vessel to sail around the world, and he claimed several territories for England, including California, which he named “New Albion.”
Drake’s expedition was not without controversy, however. He attacked and looted several Spanish settlements in South America and the Pacific, and his actions were viewed as piracy by the Spanish authorities. The expedition also had a significant impact on the indigenous populations of the areas Drake visited, and his men were responsible for the deaths of many people.
Despite these controversies, Drake’s circumnavigation of the world brought him great fame and fortune, and he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I upon his return to England in 1580. He continued to serve as a naval commander and privateer, playing a key role in the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588.
Drake’s later years were marked by further military expeditions and voyages of exploration, but he also faced personal and financial difficulties. He lost several ships and was heavily in debt by the time of his death in 1596.
Drake’s legacy is complex and controversial. On the one hand, he was a skilled navigator and naval commander who played a significant role in expanding British interests and influence in the world. On the other hand, his actions as a privateer and his involvement in the slave trade and the exploitation of indigenous populations have been criticized as unethical and harmful.
Despite these criticisms, Drake remains an important figure in British history and a symbol of the country’s maritime and colonial ambitions. His exploits continue to inspire admiration and fascination, while also raising important questions about the costs and consequences of exploration and imperialism.
Yeah, most of you got it. It is highly unlikely that “Novo Albion” was in California. That myth arose because of the cloak of secrecy and deception thrown over the “famous voyage” by Elizabeth I, which confused not only the Spanish, who were the target of that bodyguard of lies, but also historians. Until about 1913, of course, when one of America’s first female anthropologists, Zelia Nuttall, proved by newly discovered and translated documents that Drake’s “fair and good bay” was much farther north than historians had previously supposed, in Oregon, Washington, or perhaps even British Columbia.
In other words, Elizabeth I’s disinformation operation fooled not only historians until at least the 20th century (and into the 21st century), but also, apparently, ChatGPT. At least until it reads this post.
