The world’s oceans in the 16th century were controlled and dominated by the Spanish and Portuguese. Sir Francis Drake was an Englishman seemingly working on the fringes of English society, pirating and plundering Spanish ships in service to the English crown. As much as the western world likes to remember Drake as privateer and pirate–an outlaw on the fringe–he ultimately was always in service to the English crown and its colonialist ambitions.
In 1572, he set out on his first independent mission to circumnavigate the world. He returned in 1580, successful in his endeavor, and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I in 1581 for his service to the crown. Although Drake stopped in many places during his journey, Nova Albion–as he called it–was the most significant of his stops. Located somewhere along the Pacific Coast of North America, Nova Albion was the first location in North America to be named and colonized by the English Nation before they were an Empire.
Although all records directly written or illustrated by Drake are lost to history, we have access to accounts from Francis Fletcher–the Anglican Priest accompanying Drake on his journey–that have been recorded by Richard Hakluyt and Drake’s nephew. It is difficult to say where exactly Drake landed despite the coordinates that are recorded; however, the interest in Drake’s landing somewhere along the Pacific Coastline has continued to proliferate Drake’s colonialist legacy as it hides behind the image of Drake as a buccaneering icon.
Below I have excerpted the written accounts that we do have from both Hakluyt and Drake’s nephew. They speak to both Nova Albion as the “fair and good bay” as well as a “bad bay” that required them to turn around. These accounts are the first English accounts of the Pacific Coast of North America, and undoubtably shape the ways that we think today.
…Whereupon we thought it best for that time to seek the land, and did so, finding it not mountainous, but low plain land, till we came within 38 degrees, it pleased God to send us into a fair and good bay, with a good wind to enter the same.
-Richard Hakluyt, The famous voyage of Sir Francis Drake, pg. 12-16
…They made signs to our general to sit down, to whom the king, and divers others made supplications, that he would take their province into his hand, and become their king, making signs that they would resign unto him their right and title of the whole land, and become his subjects…Wherefore in the name, and to the use of Her Majesty he took the sceptre, crown, and dignity of the said country into his hands.
…Our general called this country Nova Albion, and that for two causes: the one in respect of the white cliffs, which lie towards the sea: and the other, because it might have some affinity with out country in name, which sometime was so called.
At our departure hence our general set up a monument of our being there, as also of Her Majesty’s right and title to the same, namely a plate, nailed upon a fair great post, whereupon was engraved Her Majesty’s name, the day and year if our arrival there, with the free giving up of the province and people into Her Majesty’s hands, together with Her Highness’ picture and arms, in a piece of six pence of current English money under the plate, whereunder was also written the name of our general.
The land in that part of America, bearing farther out into the West then we before imagined, we were neerer on it then wee were aware; and yet the neerer still wee came vnto it, the more extremitie of cold did sease vpon vs. The 5 day of Iune, wee were forced by contrary windes to runne in with the shoare, which we then first descried, and to cast anchor in a bad bay, the best roade we could for the present meete with, where wee were not without some danger by reason of the many extreme gusts and flawes that beate vpon vs, which if they ceased and were still at any time, immediately upon their intermission there followed most uile, thicke, and stinking fogges, against which the sea preuailed nothing, till the gusts of wind againe remoued them, which brought with them such extremity and violence when they came, that there was no dealing or resisting against them.
In this place was no abiding for vs; and to go further North, the extremity of the cold (which had now vtterly discouraged our men) would not permit vs; and the winds directly bent against vs, hauing once gotten vs vunder sayle againe, commanded vs to the Southward whether we would or no.
From the height of 48 deg., in which now we were, to 38, we found the land, by coasting alongst it, to bee but low and reasonable plaine; euery hill (whereof we saw many, but non verie high), though it were in June, and the sunne in his neerest approch vnto them, being couered in snow.
In 38 deg. 30 min. we fell with a conuenient and fit harborough, and June 17 came to anchor therein, where we continued till the 23 day of July following…
Sir Francis Drake, The World Encompassed by Sir Francis Drake: Being His Next Voyage to That to Nombre de Dios. Collated with an Unpublished Manuscript of Francis Fletcher, Chaplain to the Expedition, pg. 115-134
California Albion 